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CHESS  STRATEGY 


9 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


BY 

EDWARD  LASKER 


TRANSLATED  BY  J.  DU  MONT 


PHILADELPHIA 
DAVID  McKAY  COMPANY 

1931 


First  Published  . . . January,  1915 

Second  Edition,  Revised  . February,  1917 
Reprinted  . 1918,  1920,  1921,  1922,  1925, 

1926,  1931 


MADE  IN  GREAT  BRITAIN 


CONTENTS 


-Jt 


PAGB 


Translator’s  Preface ix 

Author’s  Preface  * xi 


PART  I 

CHAP,  PAGE 

I.  Introductory i 

I.  Rules  of  the  Game  .......  i 

II.  Notation 5 

II.  Hints  for  Beginners 7 

Elementary  Combinations  ......  9 

Simple  Calculation  . . . . . . .10 

Complications  . . . , . . . .11 

III.  General  Principles  of  Chess  Strategy  . . .17 

Introductory 17 

Balance  of  Attack  and  Defence 18 

Mobility  . , . . . . . . .18 

IV.  The  Opening 20 

Development  of  the  Pieces  ......  20 

On  Losing  Moves  . . . . . . . .21 

Examples  of  Practical  Play 21 

Pawn  Play  .........  26 

Pawn  Skeleton  ........  26 

The  Centre 27 

A.  King’s  Pawn  Games  .......  29 

B.  Queen’s  Pawn  Games 52 

C.  Irregular  Openings 62 

V.  The  End-game 63 

End-games  with  Pieces 64 

Pawn  Endings  ........  70 

Mixed  Endings  87 

End-games  from  Master-play  ......  97 

Teichmann-Blackburne  (Berlin,  1897)  ....  98 

Ed.  Lasker-Rotlewi  (Hamburg,  1910)  . . . .100 

Blackburne-Schlechter  (Vienna,  1898)  ....  102 

V 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


vi 

CHAP.  PAG! 

Bird-Janowski  (Hastings,  1895) 105 

Steiner-Forgacz  (Sz6kesfeherv£r,  1907)  . . . .106 

Charousek-Heinrichsen  (Cologne,  1898)  . . . .108 

VI.  The  Middle  Game . 109 

General  Remarks  . . . . . . , .109 

Evolution  of  the  Pawn  Skeleton 1 1 1 

Objects  of  Attack  . . . . . . . .111 

“ Backward  ” Pawns ii2 

On  Fixing  a Weakness  113 

Weaknesses  in  a Pawn  Position  . . , . .114 

Breaking  up  the  King’s  Side  . . . . , *115 

Doubled  Pawns  . . . . . . . • 115 

Illustrations — 

V.  Scheve-Teichmann  (Berlin,  1907)  , . .116 

Marshall-Burn  (Ostend,  1907)  . . . • n? 

Manoeuvres  of  the  Pieces 119 

Open  Files  and  Diagonals  . . . . .121 

Example — 

Fred.  Lazard-Ed.  Lasker  (Paris,  1914)  . . . 123 


PART  II 

ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES  FROM  MASTER  TOURNAMENTS 


NO. 

1.  Tartakower-Burn  (Carlsbad,  1911)  . . . . . .126 

2.  Leonhardt-Marshall  (San  Sebastian,  1911)  . . . .129 

3.  Spielmann-Prokes  (Prag,  1908)  . . . . . .132 

4.  Tarrasch-Capablanca  (San  Sebastian,  1911)  . . . . 134 

4a.  Howell-Michell  (Cable  Match,  1907) 135 

4b.^.v.Y 135 

5.  Griffith-Gunston  (London,  1902)  . . . . . .138 

6.  Mason-Gunsberg  (New  York,  1889)  . . . . • 1 U 

7.  Marshall-Tarrasch  (Hamburg,  1910) 144 

8.  Blackburne-Em.  Lasker  (Petrograd,  1914)  ....  147 

9.  Salwe-Marshall  (Vienna,  1908) 150 

10.  Teichmann-Amateurs  (Glasgow,  1902)  .....  154 

11.  Schlechter-Janowski  (Paris,  1900)  ......  159 

12.  Teichmann-Rubinstein  (Carlsbad,  1911)  . . . .163 

13.  Teichmann-Schlechter  (Carlsbad,  1911)  . . . .167 

14.  Spielmann-Tarrasch  (San  Sebastian,  1912)  . . . .170 

15.  Aliechin-Niemzowitsch  (Petrograd,  1914)  ....  174 

16.  Yates-Gunsberg  (Chester,  1914) i77 

17.  Berlin-Riga  (1908-1909) 180 

17a.  Maroezy-Berger  (Vienna,  1908)  . . . . .180 


CONTENTS 

vii 

NO, 

PAGI 

i8.  Em.  Lasker-Capablanca  (Petrograd,  1914) 

. 184 

19.  Ed.  Lasker-Janowski  (Scheveningen,  1913) 

. 188 

20.  Ed.  Lasker-Englund  (Scheveningen,  1913) 

. 193 

21.  Ed.  Lasker-Aljechin  (Scheveningen,  1913) 

. 196 

22.  Forgacz-Tartakower  (Petrograd,  1909)  . 

. 198 

23.  Yates-Esaer  (Anglo-Dutch  Match,  1914)  . 

. 200 

24.  Atkins-Barry  (Cable  Match,  1910)  . 

. 204 

25.  Em.  Lasker-Tarrasch  (Munich,  1908) 

. 206 

26.  Capablanca-Blanco  (Havanna,  1913) 

. 209 

27.  Niemzowitsch-Tarrasch  (San  Sebastian,  1912) 

. an 

28.  Alapin-Rubinstein  (Wilna,  1912) 

• 215 

29.  Teichmann-Spielmann  (Leipzig,  1914) 

. 218 

30.  Tarrasch-Spielmann  (Mannheim,  1914)  . 

. 220 

31.  John-Janowski  (Mannheim,  1914) 

. 223 

32.  Ed.  Laskcr-Mieses  (Scheveningen,  1913) 

. 225 

33.  Barasz-Mieses  (Breslau,  1912) 

. 227 

34.  Em.  Lasker-Niemzowitsch  (Petrograd,  1914)  . 

. 229 

35.  Reti-Tartakower  (Vienna,  1910) 

. 232 

36.  Forgacz-E.  Cohn  (Petrograd,  1909) 

• 234 

37.  Marshall-Capablanca  (New  York,  1909) 

. 236 

38.  Rotlewi-Teichmann  (Carlsbad,  1911) 

. 241 

38a.  Rubinstein-Teichmann  (Vienna,  1908) 

. 242 

39.  Rotlewi-Rubinstein  (Lodz,  1907) 

. 246 

40.  Rubinstein-Capablanca  (San  Sebastian,  1911) 

. 249 

41.  Niemzowitsch-Tarrasch  (Petrograd,  1914) 

• 252 

41a.  Em.  Lasker- Bauer  (Amsterdam,  1889)  . 

• 254 

42.  Capablanca-Aljechin  (Petrograd,  1913)  . 

• 255 

43.  Capablanca- Bernstein  (Petrograd,  1914) 

. 258 

44.  Dus  Chotimirski-Vidmar  (Carlsbad,i9ii) 

. 261 

45.  Rubinstein-Spielmann  (Pistyan,  1912)  . 

. 263 

46.  Thomas-Ed.  Lasker  (London,  1912) 

. 267 

47.  Tartakower-Asztalos  (Budapest,  1913)  . 

. 270 

47a.  Tartakower-Spielmann  (Vienna,  1913) 

. 270 

476.  X V.  Y 

48.  Blackburne-Niemzowitsch  (Petrograd,  1914)  . 

• 274 

Table  of  Openings 

. 278 

A.  King’s  Pawn  Games  .... 

. 278 

B.  Queen’s  Pawn  Games  .... 

. 279 

C.  Irregular  Openings  .... 

• 279 

Index  

. a8i 

■ Sf  yiiir'..:  " 

' ■ ;'’a 


' . , i ■ . , !■ 


■ 1.  "■  '■  *'  *’  'v^ 


TRANSLATOR’S  PREFACE 


As  the  first  edition  of  Edward  Lasker’s  Chess  Strategy  was 
exhausted  within  a comparatively  short  time  of  its  appearance, 
the  author  set  himself  the  task  of  altering  and  improving 
the  work  to  such  an  extent  that  it  became  to  all  intents  and 
purposes  a new  book.  I had  the  privilege  of  co-operating  with 
him  to  a slight  degree  on  that  second  edition,  and  was  in  con- 
sequence able  to  appreciate  the  tremendous  amount  of  work 
he  voluntarily  took  upon  himself  to  do  ; I say  voluntarily, 
because  his  publishers,  anxious  to  supply  the  strong  demand 
for  the  book,  wished  to  reprint  it  as  it  stood. 

A little  later  I undertook  to  translate  this  second  edition 
into  English  for  Messrs.  Bell  & Sons.  Only  a few  months 
had  elapsed,  the  tournaments  at  Petrograd,  Chester,  and  Mann- 
heim had  taken  place,  several  new  discoveries  had  been  made, 
and  it  is  the  greatest  testimony  to  Edward  Lasker’s  inde- 
fatigable devotion  to  the  Art  of  Chess  that  I am  able  to  say 
that  this  is  not  a translation  of  the  second  edition,  but  of 
what  is  practically  a new  book.  It  contains  a new  preface, 
a chapter  for  beginners,  a new  introdiiction,  new  variations. 
Furthermore,  a large  number  of  new  games  have  taken  the 
place  of  old  ones. 

I have  no  doubt  that  any  chess  player  who  will  take  the 
trouble  to  study  Chess  Strategy  will  spend  many  a pleasurable 
hour.  Incidentally  new  vistas  will  be  opened  to  him,  and  his 
playing  strength  increased  to  a surprising  degree. 

The  author  says  in  his  preface  that  he  appeals  to  the  intel- 
ligence and  not  the  memory  of  his  readers.  In  my  opinion, 
too,  the  student  should  above  all  try  to  improve  his  judgment 
of  position. 

Than  the  playing  over  of  games  contested  by  experts  I 
can  hardly  imagine  a greater  or  purer  form  of  enjoyment. 
Yet  I must  at  the  outset  sound  a note  of  warning  against  its 


X 


CHESS  STR.\TEGY 


being  done  superficially,  and  with  a feverish  expectation  of 
something  happening.  Every  move  or  combination  of  moves 
should  be  carefully  weighed,  and  the  student  should  draw  his 
own  conclusions  and  compare  them  with  what  actually  happens 
in  the  game  under  examination. 

This  applies  particularly  to  some  of  the  critical  positions 
set  out  in  diagrams  in  the  course  of  the  exposition  of  the 
several  games. 

The  reader  would  derive  the  greatest  possible  benefit  from 
a prolonged  study  of  such  positions  before  seeking  to  know 
how  the  games  proceed.  After  having  formed  his  own  opinion 
about  the  merits  of  a particular  position,  he  should  compare 
the  result  with  the  sequel  in  the  game  in  question,  and  thus 
find  out  where  his  judgment  has  been  at  fault. 

The  deeper  study  of  the  theory  of  the  openings  is  of  course 
a necessity  to  the  student  who  wishes  to  become  an  expert, 
but  the  development  of  his  judgment  must  precede  it.  To 
him  Griffith  & WTiite’s  admirable  book,  Modern  Chess  Open- 
ings, will  be  a perfect  mine  of  information.  There  are  thou- 
sands of  variations,  and  in  most  of  them  the  actual  game  in 
which  they  were  first  tried  by  masters  is  named,  thus  adding 
to  the  interest  and  value  of  the  work. 

I must  not  omit  to  mention  the  invaluable  help  afforded 
me  by  my  friend  Mr.  John  Hart,  to  whom  my  warmest  thanks 
are  due. 


JULIUS  DU  MONT. 


AUTHOR’S  PREFACE 


The  large  majority  of  chess  players  who  would  like  to  improve 
their  game,  have  not  the  necessary  opportunity  of  pitting 
themselves  against  players  of  master-strength,  or  at  least  of 
obtaining  the  desired  instruction  from  personal  intercourse 
with  them.  It  is  for  such  players  that  the  present  work  is 
intended.  The  books  on  which  the  learner  has  to  rely  hardly 
ever  serve  his  purpose,  being  mostly  little  more  than  a dis- 
jointed tabulation  of  numberless  opening  variations,  which 
cannot  be  understood  without  preliminary  studies,  and  con- 
sequently only  make  for  confusion.  In  the  end  the  connection 
between  the  various  lines  of  play  may  become  clear,  after  the 
student  has  made  an  exhaustive  study  of  the  subject,  but 
very  few  would  have  either  the  time  or  the  inclination  for 
such  prolonged  labour. 

Therefore  another  shorter  and  less  empirical  way  must 
be  found  in  which  to  acquire  the  understanding  of  sound 
play.  My  system  of  teaching  differs  from  the  usual  ones,  in 
that  it  sets  down’ at  the  outset  definite  elementary  principles 
of  chess  strategy  by  which  any  move  can  be  gauged  at  its 
true  value,  thus  enabling  the  learner  to  form  his  own  judgment 
as  to  the  manoeuvres  under  consideration.  In  m.y  opinion  it 
is  absolutely  essential  to  follow  such  strategical  principles,  and 
I go  so  far  as  to  assert  that  such  principles  are  in  themselves 
sufficient  for  the  development  and  conduct  of  a correct  game 
of  chess. 

Even  though  instruction  in  chess  is  possible  on  very  general 
lines  alone,  yet  I think  it  advisable  and  indeed  necessary  to 
explain  the  application  of  such  principles  to  the  various 
phases  of  each  game  of  chess.  Otherv'ise  the  learner  might 
unduly  delay  his  progress,  and  lose  valuable  time  in  finding 
out  for  himself  certain  essentials  that  could  more  profitably  be 
pointed  out  to  him. 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


xii 

With  regard  to  the  way  in  which  I have  arranged  my 
subject  and  the  form  of  its  exposition  in  detail,  I have  thought 
out  the  following  plan. 

After  discussing  at  length  the  leading  principles  under- 
lying sound  play,  I have  first  treated  of  the  openings,  in  which 
such  principles  are  of  even  more  deciding  influence  than  in 
any  other  stage  of  the  game,  as  far  as  could  be  done  on 
broad  lines  without  having  to  pay  attention  to  middle  and 
end-game  considerations. 

I proceeded  as  follows,  by  taking  as  my  starting-point  the 
“ pawn  skeleton  ” which  is  formed  in  the  opening,  and  round 
which  the  pieces  should  group  themselves  in  logical  fashion. 
As  a consequence  of  the  pawns  having  so  little  mobility,  this 
" pawn  skeleton  ” often  preserves  its  shape  right  into  the 
end-game.  Applying  the  general  strategical  principles  to  the 
formation  of  the  pawn  skeleton,  the  learner  acquires  the  under- 
standing of  the  leading  idea  underlying  each  opening  without 
having  to  burden  his  memory.  Not  only  that,  he  will  also 
be  able  to  find  a correct  plan  of  development  when  confronted 
vvdth  unusual  forms  of  opening. 

The  most  important  result  of  this  system  of  teaching  is 
that  the  learner  does  not  lose  his  way  in  a maze  of  detail,  but 
has  in  view  at  the  very  outset,  the  goal  which  the  many 
possible  variations  of  the  openings  are  intended  to  reach. 

Before  I could  proceed  to  the  discussion  of  the  middle 
game,  I found  it  necessary  to  treat  of  the  principles  governing 
the  end-game.  For  in  most  cases  play  in  the  middle  game  is 
influenced  by  end-game  considerations.  Here  also  it  has  been 
my  endeavour  as  far  as  possible  to  reduce  my  subject  to  such 
principles  as  are  generally  applicable. 

Finally,  as  regards  the  middle  game,  to  which  the  whole 
of  Part  H is  devoted,  I have  again  made  the  handling  of 
pawns,  the  hardest  of  all  problems  of  strategy,  the  starting- 
point  for  my  deliberations.  I have  shown  at  length  how  the 
various  plans  initiated  by  the  various  openings  should  be 
developed  further.  To  ensure  a thorough  understanding  of 
the  middle  game,  I have  given  a large  number  of  games  taken 
from  master  play,  with  numerous  and  extensive  notes.  Thus 
the  student  has  not  to  rely  only  on  examples  taken  haphazard 
from  their  context,  but  he  will  at  the  same  time  see  how 


AUTHOR’S  PREFACE 


xiii 

middle-game  positions,  which  give  opportunities  for  special 
forms  of  attack,  are  evolved  from  the  opening. 

It  has  been  my  desire  to  make  the  subject  easily  under- 
standable and  at  the  same  time  entertaining,  and  to  appeal 
less  to  the  memory  of  my  readers  than  to  their  common  sense 
and  intelligence.  I hope  in  that  way  not  to  have  strayed  too 
far  from  the  ideal  I had  in  mind  when  writing  this  book, 
namely,  to  apply  to  chess  the  only  method  of  teaching  which 
has  proved  productive  in  aU  branches  of  science  and  art. 
that  is,  the  education  of  individual  thought. 

If  I have  succeeded  in  this,  I shall  have  the  satisfaction 
of  having  contributed  a little  to  the  furthering,  in  the  wide 
circles  in  which  it  is  played,  of  the  game  which  undoubtedly 
makes  the  strongest  appeal  to  the  intellect. 


EDWARD  LASKER 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


PART  I 

CHAPTER  1 
INTRODUCTORY 
I.  Rules  of  the  Game 

A GAME  of  chess  is  played  by  two  opponents  on  a square  board 
consisting  of  sixty-^four  White  and  Black  squares  arranged 
alternately.  The  forces  on  each  side  comprise  sixteen  units, 
namely  a King,  a Queen,  two  Rooks,  two  Bishops,  two 
Knights,  and  eight  Pawns.  All  units  move  according  to 
different  laws,  and  the  difference  in  their  mobility  is  the 
criterion  of  their  relative  value  and  of  the  fighting  power  they 
contribute  towards  achieving  the  ultimate  aim,  namely,  the 
capture  of  the  opposing  King.  Before  I can  explain  what  is 
meant  by  the  capture  of  the  King,  I must  set  out  the  rules  of 
the  game  in  full. 

Diagram  i shows  the  position  the  forces  take  up  for  the 
contest.  The  board  is  so  placed  that  there  is  a white  square 
at  the  top  left-hand  corner.  The  Rooks  take  up  their  posi- 
tions at  the  corner  squares,  and  next  to  them  the  Knights. 
Next  to  those  again  are  the  Bishops,  and  in  the  centre  the  King 
and  Queen,  the  White  Queen  on  a Wliite  square,  and  the  Black 
Queen  on  a Black  square.  The  eight  pawns  occupy  the  ranks 
immediately  in  front  of  the  pieces.  From  this  initial  position. 
White  begins  the  game  in  which  the  players  must  move  alter- 
nately. 

The  pieces  move  in  the  following  way  : The  Rook  can  move 
from  any  square  it  happens  to  be  on,  to  any  other  square 

A 


2 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


which  it  can  reach  in  a straight  line,  either  perpendicularly  or 
horizontally,  unless  there  is  another  piece  of  the  same  colour 
in  the  way,  in  which  case  it  can  only  move  as  far  as  the  square 
immediately  in  front  of  that  piece.  If  it  is  an  opposing  piece 
which  blocks  the  way,  he  can  move  on  to  the  square  that  piece 
occupies,  thereby  capturing  it.  The  piece  thus  captured  is 
removed  from  the  board.  The  Bishop  can  operate  along 
either  of  the  diagonals  of  which  the  square  on  which  he  is 
standing  forms  part.  A Bishop  on  a White  square  can  there- 
fore never  get  on  to  a Black  one. 


The  Queen  commands  both  the  straight  and  the  oblique 
lines  which  start  from  the  square  she  stands  on,  and  therefore 
unites  the  power  of  both  Rook  and  Bishop  in  her  movements. 

The  King  has  similar  powers  to  the  Queen,  but  curtailed, 
inasmuch  as  he  can  only  move  one  step  at  a time.  He 
therefore  only  controls  one  neighbouring  square  in  any 
direction. 

The  Knight  plays  and  captures  alternately  on  White  and 
Black  squares,  and  only  reaches  such  squares  as  are  nearest 
to  him  without  being  immediately  adjacent ; his  move  is  as  it 
were  composed  of  two  steps,  one  square  in  a straight  line,  and 
one  in  an  oblique  direction.  Diagram  2 will  illustrate  this.^ 

1 I should  like  to  quote  my  friend  Mr.  John  Hart’s  clever  definition  of  the 
Knight’s  move,  though  it  may  not  be  new;  If  one  conceives  a Knight  as  standing 
on  a corner  square  of  a rectangle  three  squares  by  two,  he  is  able  to  move 
into  the  corner  diagonally  opposite. 


INTRODUCTORY 


3 

Tlie  pawns  only  move  straight  forward,  one  square  at  a 
time,  except  at  their  first  move,  when  they  have  the  option 
of  moving  two  squares.  In  contrast  to  the  pieces,  the  pawns 
do  not  capture  in  the  way  they  move.  They  move  straight 
forward,  but  they  capture  diagonally  to  the  right  and  left, 
again  only  one  square,  and  only  forward.  Therefore  a pawn 
can  only  capture  such  pieces  or  pawns  as  occupy  squares 
of  the  same  colour  as  the  square  on  which  it  stands.  If,  in 
moving  two  squares,  a pawn  traverses  a square  on  which  it 
could  have  been  captured  by  a hostile  pawn,  that  pawn  has 
the  right  to  capture  it,  as  if  it  had  moved  only  one  square.  This 
is  called  capturing  en  passant.  However,  this  capture  can  only 


be  effected  on  the  very  next  move,  otherwise  the  privilege 
of  capturing  en  passant  is  lost. 

If  a player  succeeds  in  reaching  the  eighth  rank  with  one 
of  his  pawns  he  is  entitled  to  call  for  any  piece  of  higher  grade, 
with  the  exception  of  the  King,  in  place  of  such  pawn. 

Each  move  in  a game  of  chess  consists  of  the  displacement 
of  one  piece  only,  with  the  exception  of  what  is  termed  “ cast- 
ling,” in  which  the  King  and  either  Rook  can  be  moved  simul- 
taneously by  either  player  once  in  a game.  In  castling,  the  King 
moves  sideways  to  the  next  square  but  one,  and  the  Rook  to 
which  the  King  is  moved  is  placed  on  the  square  which  the 
King  has  skipped  over.  Castling  is  only  allowed  if  neither  the 
King  nor  the  Rook  concerned  have  moved  before,  and  if  there 
is  no  piece  between  the  Rook  and  King. 


4 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


Diagram  3 shows  a position  in  which  White  has  castled  on 
the  Queen’s  side,  and  Black  on  the  King’s  side.  Castling  is 
not  permitted  if  the  King  in  castling  must  pass  over  a square 
attacked  by  a hostile  piece.  A square  (or  a piece)  is  said  to  be 
“ attacked  ” when  the  square  (or  the  piece)  is  in  the  line  of 
action  of  a hostile  unit.  A square  (or  a piece)  is  said  to  be 
covered  or  protected  if  an  opposing  piece  occupying  that 
square  (or  capturing  the  piece)  could  itself  be  captured. 

WTien  attacking  the  King  it  is  customary  to  call  “ check,” 
to  notify  the  opponent  of  the  fact ; for  the  attack  on  the  King 


Diag.  3. 


must  be  met  in  some  way  or  other.  This  can  be  done  by  cap- 
turing the  attacker  or  by  interposing  a piece  (this  is  not  possible 
in  case  of  attack  by  a Knight  or  a pawn),  or  lastly  by  moving 
the  King  to  a square  which  is  not  attacked.  The  lattei 
must  not  be  done  by  castling.  If  it  is  impossible  by  any  of  the 
three  methods  above  mentioned  to  avoid  the  attack  upon  the 
King,  the  King  is  said  to  be  checkmated,  and  the  game  is 
ended.  ' 

If  a King  is  unable  to  move,  though  not  attacked,  and  none 
of  his  remaining  pieces  can  move,  the  King  is  said  to  be  stale- 
mated, and  the  game  is  drawn.  A game  is  also  drawn  when 
neither  side  has  sufficient  material  left  to  enforce  a mate. 
(Compare  page  63.) 

If  a player  resigns  his  game  before  he  is  actually  mated. 


INTRODUCTORY 


5 

he  acknowledges  that  in  the  end  mate  is  unavoidable,  and 
the  game  is  counted  as  a loss  to  him. 

A game  is  null  and  void  if  it  is  shown  that  a mistake 
was  made  in  setting  the  board  or  men.  The  same  applies 
when  in  the  course  of  the  game  the  position  and  number 
of  pieces  have  been  altered  in  a manner  not  in  accordance 
with  the  proper  course  of  play,  and  the  latter  cannot  be  re- 
constructed from  the  point  where  the  error  was  made. 

If  a player  having  the  move  touches  one  of  his  pieces  he  is 
under  compulsion  to  move  it ; if  he  touches  a hostile  piece  he 
must  capture  it,  provided  that  the  piece  can  be  properly  moved 
or  captured  in  either  case.  This  rule  is  of  no  effect  if  the  piece 
so  touched  cannot  be  moved  or  captured,  as  the  case  may  be. 
So  long  as  the  hand  has  not  left  the  piece  to  be  moved,  the 
latter  can  be  placed  on  any  accessible  square.  If  a player 
[ touches  a piece  with  the  sole  object  of  adjusting  its  position, 

I he  must  apprise  his  opponent  of  his  intention  by  saying 
“ J’adoube  ” beforehand.  It  is  best  to  move  the  King  first  when 
castling.  If  the  Rook  is  moved  first,  and  unless  the  King  is 
played  almost  simultaneously,  a doubt  might  arise  whether 
castling  or  a Rook’s  move  only  was  intended. 

If  a player  has  castled  illegally.  Rook  and  King  must  be 
moved  back,  and  the  King  must  make  another  move,  if  there 
is  a legal  one.  If  not,  any  other  move  can  be  played.  A 
player  who  makes  an  illegal  move  with  a piece  must  retract 
that  move,  and  make  another  one  if  possible  with  the  same 
piece.  If  the  mistake  is  only  noticed  later  on,  the  game  should 
be  restarted  from  the  position  in  which  the  error  occurred. 


II.  Notation 

A special  notation  has  been  adopted  to  make  the  study  of 
games  and  positions  possible,  and  it  is  necessary  for  students 
of  the  game  to  become  thoroughly  conversant  with  it.  The 
original  and  earliest  notation  is  still  in  use  in  English,  French, 
and  Spanish  speaking  countries.  It  is  derived  from  the 
original  position  in  the  game,  in  that  the  squares  take  the 
names  of  the  pieces  which  occupy  them.  Thus  the  comer 
squares  are  called  R i (Rook’s  square  or  Rook’s  first),  and  to 


6 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


distinguish  them  from  one  another  Q R i or  K R i (Queen’s 
or  King’s  Rook’s  square).  The  squares  immediately  in 
front  are  called  QRaorKRa.  A distinction  is  made 
between  White  and  Black,  and  White’s  R i is  Black’s  R 8, 
Black’s  R 2 is  White’s  R 7,  White’s  K B 3 is  Black’s  K B 6, 
and  so  on.  K stands  for  King  ; Q for  Queen  ; B for  Bishop  ; 
Kt  for  Knight ; R for  Rook  ; and  P for  Pawn.  In  describing 
a capture,  only  the  capturing  and  the  captured  pieces  are  men- 
tioned, and  not  the  squares. 

When  confusion  is  possible,  it  is  customary  to  add  whether 
King’s  side  or  Queen’s  side  pieces  are  concerned,  e.g.  K R x Q Kt. 
In  this  notation  it  is  necessary  to  bear  in  mind  which  Kt  is 
the  Q Kt,  which  R is  the  K R.  This  becomes  increasingly 
difficult  as  the  game  goes  on  and  pieces  change  their  places. 
Many  sets  of  chessmen  have  one  Rook  and  one  Knight  stamped 
with  a special  sign,  to  show  they  are  King’s  side  pieces.  This 
is  not  necessary  in  the  case  of  Bishops : a white  K B is  always 
on  white  squares,  a white  Q B on  black  squares. 

A more  modem  notation  is  the  algebraic  notation,  which 
has  been  adopted  in  most  countries.  It  has  the  advantage 
of  being  unmistakably  clear,  and  also  more  concise.  Here 
the  perpendicular  lines  of  squares  (called  files)  are  named  with 
the  letters  a-h,  from  left  to  right,  always  from  the  point  of 
view  of  White,  and  the  horizontal  lines  of  squares  (called  ranks) 
with  numbers  1-8  as  before,  only  with  the  distinction  that  the 
rank  on  which  the  White  pieces  stand  is  always  called  the  first ; 
thus  the  square  we  named  White’s  Q B 2 or  Black’s  Q B 7 is 
now  called  c 2 in  both  cases.  Black’s  Q B 2 (White’s  Q B 7) 
is  always  c 7.  In  capturing,  the  square  on  which  the  capture 
takes  place  and  not  the  piece  captured  is  noted,  for  the  sake 
of  uniformity.  In  the  case  of  pawn  moves,  the  squares 
only  are  noted. 

O — O stands  for  castles  on  the  King’s  side  ; O — O — 0 
stands  for  castles  on  the  Queen’s  side  ; : or  x stands  for  cap- 
tures ; + for  check. 

In  the  following  opening  moves,  both  notations  are  used 
for  the  purpose  of  comparison  ; 


1.  P— Q4  P— Q4 

2.  P— Q B 4 P— K 3 


1.  d 4 d 5 

2.  c 4 e 6 


HINTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


7 


3- 

Kt-QB3 

P-QB4 

3- 

Kt  c 3 

C5 

4- 

PxQ  P 

K PxP 

4- 

cd  : 

ed  : 

5- 

P— K 4 

Q PxP 

5- 

e 4 

de  : 

6. 

P-Q5 

Kt— K B 3 

6. 

d5 

Ktf  6 

7. 

B— K Kt  5 

B— K 2 

7- 

Bg  5 

Be  7 

8. 

K Kt— K 2 

Castles 

8. 

Ktg  e 2 

0-0 

In  most  books  in  which  the  algebraic  notation  is  used,  both 
squares  of  a move  are  written  out  for  the  benefit  of  the  student. 
The  moves  above  would  then  look  like  this  : 

1.  d 2 — d 4 d 7 — d 5 

2.  c 2 — c 4 e 7 — e 6 

3.  Ktb  I — c 3 c 7 — c 5 

4.  C4xd5  e6xd5 

5.  e 2— e 4 d 5 xe  4 

6.  d 4— d 5 Ktg  8— f 6 

7.  Be  I — g 5 Bf  8 — e 7 

8.  Ktg  2 0—0 


To  conclude  : I will  give  the  denomination  of  the  pieces 


in  various  languages  ; 
English  . 

K 

Q 

R 

B 

Kt 

P 

Castles 

French 

R 

D 

T 

F 

C 

P 

Roq 

Spanish  . 

R 

D 

T 

A 

C 

P 

Enrog 

German  and  Austrian 

K 

D 

T 

L 

S 

0-0  (0) 

Italian 

R 

D 

T 

A 

c 

0-0  (0) 
0-0  (o; 

Russian  . 

KP 

L 

C 

K 

Dutch 

K 

D 

T 

L 

P 

0-0  (0) 

Scandinavian  . 

K 

D 

T 

L 

S 

0-0  (0) 

Bohemian 

K 

D 

V 

S 

J 

0-0  (0) 

Hungarian 

K 

V 

B 

F 

H 

0—0  (0) 

CHAPTER  II 

HINTS  FOR  BEGINNERS— ELEMENTARY 
COMBINATIONS 

The  mental  development  of  the  chess  player  is  a gradual 
struggle  from  a state  of  chaos  to  a clear  conception  of 
the  game.  The  period  required  for  such  development  largely 
depends  upon  the  special  gifts  the  learner  may  possess,  but 
in  the  main  the  question  of  methods  predominates.  Most 


8 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


beginners  do  not  trouble  very  much  about  any  particular  plan 
in  their  study  of  chess,  but  as  soon  as  they  have  learnt  the 
moves,  rush  into  the  turmoil  of  practical  play.  It  is  self- 
evident  that  their  prospects  under  such  conditions  cannot  be 
very  bright.  The  play  of  a beginner  is  planless,  because  he 
has  too  many  plans,  and  the  capacity  for  subordinating  all 
his  combinations  to  one  leading  idea  is  non-existent.  Yet  it 
cannot  be  denied  upon  investigation  that  a certain  kind  of 
method  is  to  be  found  in  the  play  of  all  beginners,  and  seems  to 
come  to  them  quite  naturally.  At  first  the  pawns  are  pushed 
forward  frantically,  because  there  is  no  appreciation  of  the  power 
and  value  of  the  pieces.  Conscious  of  the  inferiority  of  the 
pawns,  the  beginner  does  not  conclude  that  it  must  be  advan- 
tageous to  employ  the  greater  power  of  the  pieces,  but  is 
chiefly  concerned  with  attacking  the  opposing  pieces  with  his 
pawns  in  the  hope  of  capturing  them.  His  aim  is  not  to 
develop  his  own  forces,  but  to  weaken  those  of  his  opponent. 
His  combinations  are  made  in  the  hope  that  his  adversary 
may  not  see  through  them,  nor  does  he  trouble  much  about 
his  opponent’s  intentions.  When  most  of  his  pawns  are  gone, 
then  only  do  his  pieces  get  their  chance.  He  has  a great 
liking  for  the  Queen  and  the  Knight,  the  former  because  oi 
her  tremendous  mobility,  the  latter  on  account  of  his  peculiar 
step,  which  seems  particularly  adapted  to  take  the  enemy  by 
surprise.  When  watching  beginners  you  will  frequently 
observe  numberless  moves  by  a peripatetic  Queen,  reckless 
incursions  by  a Knight  into  the  enemy’s  camp,  and  when  the 
other  pieces  join  in  the  fray,  combination  follows  combination 
in  bewildering  sequence  and  fantastic  chaos.  Captures  of 
pieces  are  planned,  mating  nets  are  woven,  perhaps  with  two 
pieces,  against  a King’s  position,  where  five  pieces  are  available 
for  defence.  This  unsteadiness  in  the  first  childish  stages  of 
development  makes  it  very  difficult  for  the  beginner  to  get  a 
general  view  of  the  board.  Yet  the  surprises  which  each  move 
brings  afford  him  great  enjoyment. 

A few  dozen  such  games  are  by  no  means  wasted.  After 
certain  particular  dispositions  of  pieces  have  proved  his  un- 
doing, the  beginner  will  develop  the  perception  of  threats. 
He  sees  dangers  one  or  two  moves  ahead,  and  thereby  reaches 
the  second  stage  in  his  development. 


HINTS  FOR  BEGINNERS  9 

His  combinations  will  become  more  and  more  sound,  he 
will  learn  to  value  his  forces  more  correctly,  and  therefore  to 
husband  his  pieces  and  even  his  pawns  with  greater  care.  In 
this  second  stage  his  strength  will  increase  steadily,  but,  and 
this  is  the  drawback,  only  as  far  as  his  power  of  combination 
is  concerned.  Unless  a player  be  exceptionally  gifted,  he  will 
only  learn  after  years  of  practice,  if  at  all,  what  may  be  termed 
“ positional  play.”  For  that,  it  is  necessary  to  know  how  to 
open  a game  so  as  to  lay  the  foundation  for  a favourable  middle 
game,  and  how  to  treat  a middle  game,  without  losing  sight 
of  the  possibilities  of  the  end-game.  It  is  hopeless  to  try  to 
memorise  the  various  openings  which  analysis  have  proved 
correct,  for  this  empirical  method  fails  as  soon  as  the  oppon- 
ent swerves  from  the  recognised  lines  of  play.  One  must  learn 
to  recognise  the  characteristics  of  sound  play.  They  apply  to 
all  and  any  position,  and  the  underlying  principles  must  be 
propounded  in  a manner  generally  applicable.  And  this 
brings  me  to  the  substance  of  my  subject,  round  which  I will 
endeavour  to  build  up  a system  compatible  with  common 
sense  and  logic. 

Before  I proceed  to  develop  my  theme,  I shall  set  down 
a number  of  elementary  rules  which  will  facilitate  the  under- 
standing of  such  simple  combinations  as  occur  at  every  step 
in  chess. 


If  we  ignore  the  comparatively  small  proportion  of  games 
in  which  the  mating  of  the  opponent’s  King  is  accomplished 
on  a full  board,  we  can  describe  a normal,  average  game  of 
chess  in  the  following  way.  Both  sides  will  employ  their 
available  forces  more  or  less  advantageously  to  execute  attack- 
ing and  defensive  manoeuvres  which  should  gradually  lead  to 
exchanges.  If  one  side  or  the  other  emerges  from  the  conflict 
with  some  material  gain,  it  will  generally  be  possible  to  force 
a mate  in  the  end-game,  whilst  if  both  sides  have  succeeded 
by  careful  play  to  preserve  equality  of  material,  a draw  will 
generally  ensue. 

It  will  be  found  a little  later  that  a single  pawn  may  suffice, 
with  some  few  exceptions,  to  achieve  a victory,  and  we  shall 
adopt  the  following  leading  principle  for  all  combinations, 


ro 


CHESS  STRATEGY 

viz.  loss  of  material  must  be  avoided,  even  if  only  a pa^vn, 
It  is  a good  habit  to  look  upon  every  pawn  as  a prospective 
Queen.  This  has  a sobering  influence  on  premature  and  im- 
petuous plans  of  attack. 

On  the  other  hand,  victory  is  often  brought  about  by  a 
timely  sacrifice  of  material. 

But  in  such  cases  the  sacrificing  of  material  has  its  com- 
pensation in  some  particular  advantage  of  position.  As 
principles  of  position  are  difiicult  for  beginners  to  grasp,  I pro- 
pose to  defer  their  consideration  for  the  present  and  to  devote 
my  attention  first  to  such  combinations  as  involve  questions 
of  material.  Let  us  master  a simple  device  that  makes  most 
combinations  easy  both  for  attack  and  defence.  It  amounts 
merely  to  a matter  of  elementary  arithmetic,  and  if  the  be- 
ginner neglects  it,  he  will  soon  be  at  a material  disadvantage. 

Diagram  4 may  serve  as  an  example  : 


It  is  Black’s  move,  and  we  will  suppose  he  wishes  to  play 
P — K 4.  A beginner  will  probably  calculate  thus  : I push  on 
my  pawn,  he  takes  with  his  pawn,  my  Knight  takes,  so  does 
his,  then  my  Bishop  takes,  and  so  on.  This  is  quite  wrong,  and 
means  waste  of  time  and  energy. 

When  the  beginner  considers  a third  or  fourth  move  in  such 
a combination,  he  will  already  have  forgotten  which  pieces 
he  intended  to  play  in  the  first  moves.  The  calculation  is 
perfectly  simple  upon  the  following  lines  : I play  P — K 4. 


HINTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


II 


then  my  pawn  is  attacked  by  a pawn  and  two  Knights,  a Bishop 
and  two  Rooks,  six  times  in  all.  It  is  supported  by  a Bishop, 
two  Knights,  two  Rooks  and  a Queen,  six  times  in  aU.  There- 
fore I can  play  P — K 4,  provided  the  six  units  captured  at 
K4  are  not  of  greater  value  than  the  six  white  units  which 
are  recaptured.  In  the  present  instance  both  sides  lose  a 
pawn,  two  Knights,  two  Rooks,  and  a Bishop,  and  there  is 
no  material  loss.  This  established,  he  can  embark  on  the 
advance  of  the  K P without  any  fear. 

Therefore ; in  any  combination  which  includes  a number 
of  exchanges  on  one  square,  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  count  the 
number  of  attacking  and  defending  units,  and  to  compare 
their  relative  values  ; the  latter  must  never  be  forgotten.  If 
Black  were  to  play  Kt  x P in  the  following  position,  because 
the  pawn  at  K 5 is  attacked  three  times,  and  only  supported 
twice,  it  would  be  an  obvious  miscalculation,  for  the  value  of 
the  defending  pieces  is  smaller.^ 


Diag.  5. 


Chess  would  be  an  easy  game  if  all  combinations  could  be 
tested  and  probed  exhaustively  by  the  mathematical  process 
just  shown.  But  we  shall  find  that  the  complications  met 

* It  is  difficult  to  compare  the  relative  value  of  the  different  pieces,  as  so  much 
depends  on  the  peculiarities  of  each  position,  but,  generally  speaking,  minor  pieces, 
Bishop  and  Knight,  are  reckoned  as  equal  ; the  Rook  as  equal  to  a minor  piece  and 
one  or  two  pawns  (to  have  a Rook  against  a minor  piece,  is  to  be  the  ‘‘  exchange  ’ 
ahead).  The  Queen  is  equal  to  two  Rooks  or  three  minor  pieces. 


12 


CHESS  STRATEGY 

with  are  extremely  varied.  To  give  the  beginner  an  idea  of 
this,  I will  mention  a few  of  the  more  frequent  examples.  It 
will  be  seen  that  the  calculation  may  be,  and  very  frequently 


is,  upset  by  one  of  the  pieces  involved  being  exchanged  or 
sacrificed.  An  example  of  this  is  found  in  Diagram  6 ; Kt  x P 


Diag.  7. 


fails  on  account  of  R x B ; this  leaves  the  Knight  unprotected, 
and  White  wins  two  pieces  for  his  Rook.  Neither  can  the 
Bishop  capture  on  K 5 because  of  RxKt.  leaving  the  Bishop 


HINTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


13 

unprotected,  after  which  B x Kt  does  not  retrieve  the  situa- 
tion because  the  Rook  recaptures  from  B 6. 

A second  important  case,  in  which  our  simple  calculation  is  of 
no  avail,  occurs  in  a position  where  one  of  the  defending  pieces 
is  forced  away  by  a threat, the  evasion  of  which  is  more  impor- 
tant than  the  capture  of  the  unit  it  defends.  In  Diagram  7, 
for  instance.  Black  may  not  play  Kt  x P,  because  White,  by 
playing  P — Q 6,  wouid  force  the  Bishop  to  Kt  4 or  B i, 
to  prevent  the  pawn  from  Queening  and  the  Knight  would 
be  lost.  A further  example  of  the  same  type  is  given  in 
Diagram  8.  Here  a peculiar  mating  threat,  which  occurs  not 


Diag.  8. 


infrequently  in  practical  play,  keeps  the  Black  Queen  tied  to 
her  K B 2 and  unavailable  for  the  protection  of  the  B at  B i. 

White  wins  as  follows  ; 

I KtxB,  KtxKt;  2 RxKt,  QxR;  3 Kt — B 7,  ch 
K — Kt  1 : 4 Kt — R 6 double  ch,  K — R i ; 5 Q — Kt  8 ch,  R x Q ; 
6 Kt — B 7 mate. 

We  will  now  go  a step  further  and  turn  from  “ acute  ” 
combinations  to  such  combinations  as  are,  as  it  were,  impend- 
ing. Here,  too,  I urgently  recommend  beginners  (advanced 
players  do  it  as  a matter  of  course)  to  proceed  by  way  of 
simple  arithmetical  calculations,  but,  instead  of  enumerating 
the  attacking  and  defending  pieces,  to  count  the  number  of 
possibihties  of  attack  and  defence. 


14 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


Let  us  consider  a few  typical  examples.  In  Diagram  9, 
if  Black  plays  P — Q 5,  he  must  first  have  probed  the  position 
in  the  following  way.  The  pawn  at  Q 5 is  attacked  once  and 
supported  once  to  start  with,  and  can  be  attacked  by  three 
more  White  units  in  three  more  moves  (i  R — Q i,  2 R (B  2) — Q 2, 
3 B — B 2).  Black  can  also  mobilise  three  more  units  for  the 
defence  in  the  same  number  of  moves  (i  Kt — B 4 or  K 3,  2 B — 
Kt  2,  3 R — Q i).  There  is,  consequently,  no  immediate  danger, 
nor  is  there  anything  to  fear  for  some  time  to  come,  as  Wdiite  has 
no  other  piece  which  could  attack  the  pawn  for  the  fifth  time. 


Diag.  9. 


It  would  be  obviously  wrong  to  move  the  pawn  to  Q 6 after 
White’s  R — Q i,  because  White  could  bring  another  two  pieces 
to  bear  on  the  P,  the  other  Rook  and  the  Knight,  whilst  Black 
has  only  one  more  piece  available  for  the  defence,  namely,  his 
Rook. 

The  following  examples  show  typical  positions,  in  which 
simple  calculation  is  complicated  by  side  issues. 

In  Diagram  10,  the  point  of  attack,  namely,  the  Black 
Knight  at  K B 3,  can  be  supported  by  as  many  Black  units 
as  White  can  bring  up  for  the  attack,  but  the  defensive  effici- 
ency of  one  of  Black’s  pieces  is  illusory,  because  it  can  be 
taken  by  a White  piece.  The  plan  would  be  as  follows  : White 
threatens  Black’s  Knight  for  the  third  time  v/ith  Kt — K 4, 
and  Black  must  reply  Q Kt — Q 2,  because  covering  with 


HINTS  FOR  BEGINNERS  15 

R — K 3 would  cost  the  " exchange,”  as  will  appear  from  a 
comparison  of  the  value  of  the  pieces  concerned.  The  " ex- 
change ” is,  however,  lost  for  Black  on  the  next  move,  because 


White’s  further  attack  on  the  Knight  by  Q — B 3 forces  the 
Rook  to  defend  on  K 3,  where  it  gets  into  the  diagonal  of  the 
Bishop,  which  at  present  is  masked  by  White’s  Knight.  The 


Diag.  II. 


sequel  would  be  3 Q Kt  x Kt  ch,  R x Kt  (not  B x Kt  on  account 
of  B xR  winning  a whole  Rook),  4 B xR,  and  so  on. 

A similar  case  is  shown  in  Diagram  ii. 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


i6 

Here,  too,  there  is  a flaw  in  the  simple  calculation,  because 
the  defending  units  are  not  secure.  Beginners  should  devote 
special  attention  to  this  position,  which  is  in  practice  of  fre- 
quent occurrence. 

It  can  be  easily  perceived  that  the  Bishop  cannot  capture 
the  pawn  at  B 7 on  account  of  P — Q R 3.  But  to  take  with 
the  Knight  would  also  be  an  error,  because  Black  would  then 
keep  chasing  away  the  covering  Bishop. 

I P — Kt  4 ; 2 B — Q 6,  K — B 3 ; 3 Kt — K 8,  B — B 2 ; and 
wins  one  of  the  pieces. 

Finally,  one  more  example,  in  which  one  of  the  defending 
pieces  being  pinned  makes  simple  calculation  impracticable. 

In  Diagram  12  it  seems  at  first  sight  as  if  Black  could  play 
Kt  X P : although  White  can  pin  the  Knight  with  R — K i 


Diag.  12. 


and  then  attack  it  once  more  with  his  Knight,  Black  would 
appear  to  have  sufficient  protection  available,  with  his  Kt  and 
B.  White  has  no  time  to  double  Rooks,  because  if  he  does  so, 
after  his  R — K 2 Black  would  play  the  King  away  from  his 
die  and  allow  the  Knight  to  escape. 

But  White  can,  by  a simple  sacrifice,  bring  the  slumbering 
R at  R I into  sudden  action  : 

T...KtxP;  2 R— K I,  B— B 4;  3 Kt— B 3,  Kt— Q 3; 
4 R X Kt,  Kt  X R ; 5 R — K i,  and  White  wins  two  pieces  for 
his  Rook. 


GENERAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  CHESS  STRATEGY  17 

These  illustrations  will  be  sufficient  to  give  the  beginner 
an  understanding  of  economy  of  calculation  in  all  kinds  of 
combinations.  His  power  of  combining  will  grow  speedily 
on  this  basis,  and  thrive  in  the  fire  of  practical  experience. 
Where  an  opponent  is  missing,  the  gap  must  be  filled  by  refer- 
ence to  such  books  as  treat  of  the  science  of  combination 
and  give  examples  taken  from  actual  play. 


CHAPTER  III 

GENERAL  PRINCIPLES  OF  CHESS  STRATEGY 

In  bringing  the  teachings  of  this  book  under  the  collective 
heading  “ Chess  Strategy,”  it  was  not  in  any  way  my  in- 
tention to  draw  anything  hke  an  exact  parallel  between  the 
manoeuvres  on  the  chess-board  and  military  operations  in 
actual  warfare.  In  trying  to  seek  such  analogies  there  is  great 
danger  of  being  led  astray,  and  little  likelihood  of  gaining 
knowledge  that  might  be  of  use  in  practical  play.  Plain 
common-sense  will  give  us  all  we  need,  without  our  being  in- 
fluenced by  those  tactical  and  strategical  considerations  that 
have  been  found  useful  in  war. 

The  following  definition  may  not  be  out  of  place  : Strategy 
sets  down  the  whole  of  the  problems  which  must  be  solved  in 
war,  in  order  to  attain  the  ultimate  result  aimed  at  ; tactics 
solve  such  problems  in  various  ways,  and  according  to 
the  conditions  prevailing  in  the  particular  case.  Sound 
strategy,  when  setting  the  task,  must  never  lose  sight  of 
tactical  practicability,  and  only  a thorough  knowledge  of 
tactical  resources  makes  correct  strategy  possible. 

Now  we  shall  not  under  any  circumstances,  as  unfor- 
tunately even  great  chess  masters  have  done,  seek  in  outward 
similarities  justification  for  transferring  to  chess  the  teachings 
of  the  strategy  and  tactics  of  war.  It  sounds  pretty  enough  to 
say  : Chess  is  a game  of  war — the  various  pieces  represent  the 
various  kinds  of  forces  : the  pawns  represent  the  infantry, 
the  Knights  take  the  place  of  cavalry,  the  Rooks  do  the 
work  of  heavy  artillery,  sweeping  broad  lines  ; the  different 

B 


i8 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


ways  in  which  the  pieces  move  find  a parallel  in  the  topography 
of  the  theatre  of  war,  in  that  the  various  battle-fields  are  more 
or  less  easy  of  access.  But  it  is  quite  unjustifiable  to  assign  to 
the  Knights  the  functions  of  scouts,  and  to  say  that  Rooks  should 
stay  in  the  background,  as  heavy  artillery,  and  so  on.  Such 
pronouncements  would  not  have  the  slightest  practical  value. 
What  we  take  from  the  science  of  warfare  is  merely  the 
definition.  In  each  game  the  strategy  of  chess  should  set  us 
the  tasks  which  must  be  accomplished  (in  order  to  mate  the 
opponent’s  King),  and  tactics  point  the  way  in  which  it  is 
possible  to  solve  such  problems.  Correct  chess  strategy  will 
only  set  such  tasks  as  are  tactically  possible,  and,  if  we  wish 
to  expound  the  principles  of  chess  strategy,  we  cannot  exclude 
chess  tactics  from  the  field  of  our  observations.  If  here  and 
there  the  results  of  our  deliberations  bear  some  analogy  to  actual 
warfare,  we  may  certainly  give  way  to  a kind  of  sesthetic  satis- 
faction in  that  our  own  occupation  has  some  parallel  in  real 
life,  but  we  must  never  fashion  our  principles  in  accordance 
with  such  fortuitous  circumstances. 

' Having  surveyed  the  problems  we  have  to  solve,  we  can 
now  plunge  into  our  subject. 

In  the  first  chapter,  when  considering  special  cases  in  ele- 
mentary combinations,  we  have  already  noticed  the  important 
part  played  in  each  skirmish  by  the  balance  between  the  attack- 
ing and  defending  units.  Speaking  quite  generally,  common- 
sense  will  tell  us  that,  in  all  operations  on  the  chess-board, 
the  main  consideration  for  the  defence  will  be  to  main- 
tain that  balance,  and  that  there  is  only  justification  for  an 
attack  when  it  is  possible  to  concentrate  more  forces  on  the 
strategic  point  than  can  be  mustered  by  the  defence.  However, 
one  very  important  point  must  not  be  neglected,  though  I 
did  not  touch  upon  it  when  discussing  elementary  combina- 
tions for  fear  of  complicating  matters  for  beginners  : the 
balance  between  the  contending  forces  is  by  no  means  estab- 
lished by  their  numerical  equality.  A paramount  factor  is 
the  mobility  of  such  forces,  and  as  soon  as  it  is  no  longer  one 
of  the  elementary  cases  of  capture  and  recapture  described 
previously,  this  factor  must  be  taken  into  account  in  order  to 
decide,  on  a general  survey,  whether  there  is  a sufficient 
defence  to  an  impending  attack,  or  whether  one’s  own  intended 


GENER.\L  PRINCIPLES  OF  CHESS  STRATEGY  ig 

attack  is  likely  to  prevail.  That  mobility  is  the  first  and 
foremost  consideration  should  be  self-evident,  since  the  relative 
value  of  the  pieces  can  only  make  itself  felt  by  their  greater 
or  lesser  mobility. 

Except  in  certain  positions,  which  are  brought  about  by 
some  particular  array  of  the  pieces,  the  intrinsic  value  of  a 
Rook  is  greater  than  that  of  a Bishop,  because  it  can  command 
all  the  squares  on  the  board,  whilst  a Bishop  is  tied  to  its  own 
colour  ; Knight  and  Bishop  are  considered  equivalent,  because 
the  Knight’s  advantage  in  being  able  to  act  on  all  the  squares 
of  either  colour  is  balanced  by  the  fact  that  the  Bishop  can 
sweep  long  diagonals.  Two  Bishops  are,  generally  speaking, 
of  greater  value  than  two  Knights,  because  together  they  also 
act  on  all  the  squares,  and  their  command  of  long  diagonals 
is  a clear  advantage.  The  whole  of  this  valuation,  however, 
comes  to  nought  when  the  pieces  are  hindered  in  their  mobility 
by  the  peculiarity  of  any  particular  position. 

We  will  consider  one  instance  from  end-game  play,  and  one 
from  the  openings. 

In  Diagram  13,  White  derives  no  advantage  from  being 


Diag.  13. 


the  exchange  to  the  good,  for  the  Rook  has  no  file  which  could 
be  used  to  break  into  the  Black  camp. 

In  Diagram  14,  the  numerical  equality  of  forces  will  not 
save  Black,  because  bad  development  reduces  the  mobility 


20 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


of  his  pieces  to  such  an  extent  that  he  has  no  resources  with 
which  he  can  parry  the  impending  attack. 


White  will  assail  the  Black  King’s  position  on  the  Queen  side, 
and  Black  is  unable  to  concentrate  his  forces  quickly  enough 
for  the  defence  of  the  jeopardised  entrenchments.  Let  us 
therefore  bear  in  mind  that  the  mobility  of  the  pieces  is  the 
deciding  factor  of  their  efficiency,  and  that  mobility  is  the 
highest  criterion  by  which  to  judge  the  merits  (or  demerits) 
of  their  operations. 

We  will  now  consider  this  principle  in  its  application  to 
the  three  stages  of  play,  namely,  the  opening,  the  middle- 
game,  and  the  ending. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  OPENING 

The  only  pieces  available  on  the  first  move  are  the  Knights. 
In  order  to  develop  other  pieces  as  well,  it  is  necessary  to  move 
pawns  first,  and  such  pawn  moves  will  be  best  as  give  an  outlet 
to  as  many  pieces  as  possible.  For  quick  development  is  of 
the  utmost  importance,  and  he  who  succeeds  first  in  placing 
all  his  pieces,  from  their  initial  awkward  positions,  to  such 
places  as  give  them  command  of  the  greatest  possible  number  of 


THE  OPENING 


21 


squares,  has  the  better  chance  of  concentrating  a superior 
force  on  some  important  point. 

It  follows  that  Wliite,  having  the  first  move,  is,  so  to  speak, 
always  morally  justified  in  attacking,  whilst  Black  should 
assume  the  defensive.  It  is  a step  in  the  right  direction,  to 
appreciate  the  truth  of  this  proposition.  Unfortunately  most 
beginners  fail  to  realise  it,  and  so  pave  the  way,  from  the  first, 
to  the  loss  of  the  game. 

There  are  not  many  developing  pawn  moves  to  choose  from. 
Apparently  from  the  point  of  view  of  quick  development  only 
P — K 4 and  P — Q 4 need  be  considered,  since  they  free  both 
Bishop  and  Queen,  whilst  other  pawn  moves  liberate  one 
piece  only.  Generally  speaking  it  is  only  required  to  move 
two  or  three  pawns  to  allow  all  pieces  to  be  developed,  and 
it  is  good,  on  principle,  to  make  only  such  pawn  moves  in  the 
opening,  which  are  necessary  for  the  development  of  pieces. 
To  play  other  pawns  really  means  the  loss  of  a move.  To 
“ lose  a move  ” means  to  make  a move  which  is  not  essential 
to  the  attainment  of  a desired  position.  Thus  the  “ loss  of  a 
move  ” results  also  from  playing  a piece  to  a given  square 
in  more  moves  than  necessary. 

I shall  now  give  a few  games  showing  the  far-reaching 
consequences  of  losing  moves.  The  first  one  is  a typical 
though  glaring  example,  which  is  very  instructive  and  came 
to  my  notice  some  time  ago : 


P— K 4 
PxP 

Kt-Q  B 3 
Kt-B  3 


I.  P— K 4 


2.  P— Q 4 


3-  QxP 

4-  Q-K  3 

5.  P-K  R 3 .? 


I will  not  discuss  the  system  of  development  adopted  by 
Wliite  in  his  first  four  moves.  The  last  move,  however,  can 
at  once  be  recognised  as  faulty.  It  is  the  loss  of  a move  such 
as  occurs  in  the  vast  majority  of  games  played  by  beginners. 
It  was  unnecessary  to  prevent  K Kt — Kt  5,  since  the  Knight 
could  not  hold  that  square  permanently.  In  any  case  B — K 2 
would  have  had  the  same  effect,  and  developed  a piece  at  the 
same  time. 


5 

6.  P— QR  3 ? ? 


B— K 2 


22 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


This,  of  course,  is  very  bad.  The  consequences  ot  this  loss 
of  a second  mo'^^’e  are  swift  and  deadly. 


6  Castles 

7.  B — B 4 

At  last  a developing  move. 

7  R— K I 

8.  Q-Q  Kt  3 


Another  Queen’s  move.  The  attack  on  the  Bishop’s  Pawn 
may  be  very  tempting,  but  must  necessarily  be  incorrect — and 
why  ? Because  White  is  much  behind  with  his  development. 
It  is  useless  to  analyse  any  kind  of  attack  in  face  of  this  fact. 
The  beginner  finds  it  hard  to  get  used  to  this  way  of  thinking. 
He  prefers  to  try  to  unravel  a long  string  of  variations  and 
combinations,  in  which  he  will  mostly  lose  his  bearings.  Even 
stronger  players  obstruct  their  own  powers  by  refusing  to  see 
the  value  of  judging  a position  on  general  merits.  They  lose 
valuable  time  in  thinking  out  endless  variations,  to  maintain 
positions  which  could  be  proved  valueless  by  general  and 
logical  deductions. 


Then,  as  in  the  present  position,  retribution  comes  swiftly. 

8 P— Q 4 

Wliite  should  have  considered  this  move.  It  was  obvious, 


THE  OPENING 


23 

since  the  opening  of  the  K file  for  the  Rook  is  most  dangerous 
for  the  White  King. 

9.  B xP  Kt  xB 

Black  could  have  played  Q x B at  once. 

10.  Q X Kt  Q X Q 

11.  PxO  B — Kt  5 double  ch 

12.  K — Q I R — K 8 mate 

A further  example  in  which  the  loss  of  moves  occurs,  though 
not  so  glaringly,  is  the  following  famous  game,  which  Morphy 
played  against  the  Duke  Karl  of  Brunswick  and  Count  Isouard 
in  the  Royal  box  at  the  Paris  opera-house. 

1.  P— K 4 P— K 4 

2.  Kt— K B 3 P— Q 3 

According  to  the  principles  set  out  above,  Kt — Q B 3 would 
have  been  better,  since  the  text  move  shuts  out  the  King’s 
Bishop. 

3-  P— Q 4 

Now  the  King’s  Pawn  is  attacked  twice.  It  would  be  bad  to 
support  it  with  Kt — Q B 3,  as  White  would  exchange  pawns 
and  then  Queens.  Black  would  thus  forfeit  his  chance  of 
castling  and  lose  much  time  in  bringing  the  King  into  safety 
and  the  Rooks  into  play.  P — K B 3,  of  course,  is  impossible, 
as  it  is  not  a developing  move,  and  moreover  blocks  the  natural 
development  of  the  King’s  Knight.  Protecting  the  pawn 
with  the  Queen  would  also  block  other  pieces,  and  Q Kt — Q 2 
cannot  be  good,  as  it  blocks  the  Queen’s  Bishop. 

Since  it  seems  impossible  to  protect  the  Kmg's  Pawn, 
the  only  alternative  would  be  to  exchange  it ; indeed  it  is  on 
the  whole  the  best  course,  although  it  allows  a White  piece 
to  take  up  a dominating  position  in  the  centre.  Wishing  to 
avoid  this.  Black  plays 

3 B-Kt  5 

and,  by  pinning  the  opponent’s  Knight,  indirectly  protects 
the  King’s  Pawn.  This  manoeuvre  is,  however,  ill-advised, 
as  Black  is  forced  to  exchange  tne  Bishop  for  the  Knight 


24  CHESS  STRATEGY 

The  Bishop  will  have  moved  twice,  the  Knight  only  once, 
therefore  White  will  have  gained  a move  for  his  development. 

4.  P X P B X Kt 

Should  Black  play  P x P at  once,  White  would  exchange 
Queens,  release  the  pin,  and  win  the  pawn. 

5.  QxB  PxP 

6.  B— Q B 4 

White  has  now  two  pieces  more  in  play  than  Black,  instead 
of  only  one,  and  the  mobility  of  the  White  Queen,  which 
Black  himself  has  brought  out,  begins  to  have  a threatening 
effect  on  Black’s  game. 

6 Kt— KB3 

7.  Q-Q  Kt  3 Q-K  2 

Black  cannot  cover  his  King’s  Bishop’s  Pawn  with  Q — Q 2 
because  8 Q x P wins  the  Rook,  whilst  now  Black  could  play 
8. . .Q — Kt  '5  ch  in  reply,  forcing  the  exchange  of  Queens. 
The  text  move,  which  is  forced,  blocks  the  Bishop,  and  at  the 
same  time  prevents  the  development  of  the  King’s  Rook,  all 
of  which  is  the  direct  consequence  of  the  loss  of  one  move. 

8.  Kt— B 3 

White  rightly  disdains  the  gain  of  the  Knight’s  Pawn,  but 
prevents  the  exchange  of  Queens  in  developing  a piece.  He 
proves  the  superiority  of  his  position  much  more  convincingly 
in  that  way.  Black  must  now  lose  yet  another  move  to  protect 
his  Knight's  Pawn. 

8 P— B3 

9.  B— K Kt  5 P— Kt  4 

Black  must  try  to  develop  his  Queen’s  Knight  at  last.  He 
cannot  play  Q Kt — Q 2 at  once,  since  his  Knight’s  Pawn  would 
again  be  unprotected  ; therefore  he  plays  the  move  in  the  text, 
probably  thinking  that  now  White  also  must  lose  a move  to 
withdraw  his  Bishop.  But  in  view  of  the  fact  that  Black’s 
game  is  wholly  undeveloped,  and  that  he  plays  practically 
several  pieces  down,  White  sacrifices  his  Knight  for  two 


THE  OPENING  25 

pawns  : he  foresees  the  position  which  occurs  a few  moves 
later,  when  Black  is  hemmed  in  on  all  sides. 

10.  Kt  X P P X Kt 

11.  B X Kt  P ch  Q Kt — Q 2 

12.  Castles  Q R R — Q i 

This  is  the  only  piece  available  to  cover  Q 2,  for  the  King’s 
Knight  is  pinned.  White  has  another  piece  in  reserve,  his 
King’s  Rook,  and  against  this  Black  is  defenceless. 


13.  RxKt 

compare  Diag.  12. 

13 RxR 

14.  R — O I O — K 3 

This  releases  the  King’s  Knight.  Now  Wliite  could  win 
by  playing  B x Kt  and  B x R ch,  but  he  prefers  to  end  up  with 
a magnificent  sacrifice. 

15.  B xR  ch  Kt  xB 

16.  Q— KtSch!!  KtxQ 

17.  R — Q 8 mate 

The  final  position  shows  in  a striking  manner  how  a few 
well-developed  pieces  can  be  worth  more  than  many  unde- 
veloped ones,  and  the  whole  game  is  an  example  of  the  fatal 
consequences  which  can  follow  the  loss  of  a move,  since  it 
often  leads  to  the  compulsory  loss  of  further  moves  in  the 
course  of  the  game. 

“ This  is  the  curse  of  every  evil  deed 

That  propagating  still  it  brings  forth  evil.” 


26 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


The  logical  sequence  of  the  moves  in  this  game,  as  pointed 
out  in  the  commentaries  to  it,  is  borne  out  by  the  curious 
coincidence  that  I once  had  the  opportunity  of  playing  a game 
in  exactly  the  same  sequence  of  moves,  against  a player  to 
whom  Morphy’s  “ brilliancy  ” was  unknown. 


The  leading  principle  of  all  opening  moves  is  made  clear 
by  the  foregoing  pages,  namely,  rapid  development  of  pieces, 
and  consequently  the  avoidance  of  the  loss  of  a move  in  any 
shape  or  form. 

Before  treating  of  the  various  systems  of  openings,  I will 
say  a few  words  on  the  principles  of  pawn  play. 

Each  opening  is  characterised  by  a well-defined  pawn 
formation,  and  concurrently  a certain  method  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  pieces.  Naturally  the  formation  of  a pawn 
skeleton  is  not  an  independent  factor,  but  must  be  evolved 
with  a view  to  facilitating  the  favourable  development  of 
pieces.  But  when  considering  the  form  of  a pawn  position 
and  that  of  the  pieces,  we  cannot  shut  our  eyes  to  the  fact 
that  pawn  formation  must  necessarily  be  the  dominant  con- 
sideration in  our  mind.  Pawn  formation  is  of  a more  permanent 
character  than  that  of  the  pieces,  in  consequence  of  the  latter’s 
greater  mobility.  When  we  have  made  a rash  move  with  a 
piece,  to  which  our  attacking  disposition  may  have  tempted 
us,  we  may  still  have  a chance  of  retrieving  the  position 
by  timely  retreat.  Once  a pawn  has  moved  it  cannot  turn 
back,  and  only  after  the  greatest  deliberation  should  we  embark 
on  changes  in  our  pawn  formation  in  order  not  to  disturb  the 
balance  of  this  “ static  element  ” of  the  game.  But  we  shall 
see  that  the  pawn  skeleton  which  was  formed  in  the  opening 
often  weathers  the  storm  and  stress  of  the  middle  game,  and 
frequently  preserves  its  character  right  up  to  the  end-game. 
I will  therefore  make  pawn  formation  my  starting-point  in 
an  attempt  to  show  the  way  through  the  maze  of  the  openings 
on  the  basis  of  general  strategical  principles. 

If  our  pawn  skeleton  is  to  promote  the  freedom  of  all  the 
pieces,  we  must  not  build  it  up  with  the  narrow  view  of  develop- 
ing minor  pieces  only,  but  must  consider  from  the  very  first 


THE  OPENING 


27 

in  which  way  it  will  enable  the  Rooks  to  get  into  action.  We 
can  unite  these  tendencies  in  making  the  centre  of  the  hoard 
the  main  field  of  action  for  all  our  forces.  This  means  for  both 
sides  K 4 and  Q 4,  and  also  in  a lesser  degree  Q B 4 and  K B 4. 
We  shall  get  a clear  insight  into  the  positional  advantage  of 
having  command  of  the  centre  later  on,  when  discussing  the 
middle  game.  At  present  I will  only  touch  the  subject  in  a 
general  way,  explaining  it  in  an  elementary  form,  which  will 
be  sufficient  to  develop  an  understanding  for  pawn  strategy 
in  the  opening.  In  the  course  of  further  deductions,  after 
the  grasp  of  this  difficult  stage  of  the  game  has  become  stronger, 
I will  go  into  details  which  will  allow  the  subject  to  be  stated 
in  a more  precise  form. 

Placing  the  pieces  in  the  centre  is  of  value,  because  there 
they  have  more  mobility  than  near  the  edge,  which,  of  course, 
limits  their  range  of  action,  and  also  because  from  the  centre 
a concentration  of  forces  on  a given  point  can  generally  be 
effected  in  the  quickest  way. 

In  most  cases  two  centre  squares  become  inaccessible  at 
once,  through  the  opponent  placing  one  of  his  pawns  in  the 
centre ; therefore  it  would  seem  a good  plan  to  lure  that  pawn 
away,  and  this  is  rendered  feasible  by  playing  P — K 4 or 
P— Q B 4 when  the  opponent  has  a pawn  on  his  Q 4,  and 
P — Q 4 or  P — K B 4 when  he  has  a pawn  on  K 4.  In  the 
following  we  will  consider  such  manoeuvres  as  could  apply 
either  to  Wffiite  or  Black,  from  the  point  of  view  of  White,  to 
whom  the  initiative  is,  as  pointed  out  above,  a sort  of  birth- 
right. Naturally,  should  White  lose  a move,  as,  for  instance, 
I P— K 4,  P— K 4 ; 2 Kt— K B 3,  Kt— Q B 3 ; 3 P— Q R 3 ? 
the  position  is  reversed,  and  Black  is  justified  in  taking  up 
the  attack. 

The  pawn  moves  mentioned  above  also  have  the  tendency 
of  giving  the  Rooks  an  opportunity  for  action.  A Rook 
standing  behind  an  advanced  pawn  may  support  its  further 
advance,  or,  if  the  pawn  should  be  exchanged,  might  get  an 
open  file. 

The  damage  we  wish  to  inflict  on  our  opponent  we  must, 
of  course,  try  to  avoid  ourselves.  Thus  we  will  not  easily  give 
up  a centre  pawn  unless  we  can  obtain  some  other  advantage 
in  doing  so.  This  advantage  may  be,  that  in  exchanging  the 


28 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


centre  pawn  we  open  up  lines  of  attack  for  our  pieces,  or  that 
we  are  able  to  place  one  of  our  pieces  in  a commanding  posi- 
tion in  the  centre  of  the  board. 

The  following  example  may  serve  as  an  illustration.  Sup- 
posing White  plays  after 

1.  P— Q 4 P— Q 4 

2.  P— Q B 4 

His  aim  is  to  tempt  Black’s  centre  pawn  away  and  to  make 
his  Q B 4 and  K 4 accessible  for  his  own  forces.  Black 
might  be  justified  in  taking  the  pawn,  if  he  really  could  hold 
the  pawn  thus  gained.  We  shall  show  later  on  that  this  is 
not  so,  and  that  White  can  win  it  back  easily  and  advan- 
tageously. Therefore  Black  is  more  likely  to  play  2 P — K 3. 
Not  2. . .Kt — K B 3 ; for  after  3 P x P,  Kt  x P ; 4 P — K 4 would 
open  White’s  game  and  drive  the  Knight  away  at  once,  gain- 
ing a move.  Supposing,  however.  Black  plays  2...B — B4 ; 
should  White  now  think  mechanically,  “ I will  take  his  centre 
pawn  and  consequently  have  the  better  game,”  his  deduction 
would  be  wrong.  For  after  exchanging  his  Bishop  for  the 
Knight,  which  otherwise  would  drive  his  Queen  away.  Black 
brings  the  latter  into  a dominating  square  in  the  centre. 


3.  PxP  BxKt 

4.  RxB  QxP 


Black’s  Queen  cannot  easily  be  driven  away  from  her 
commanding  position,  particularly  as  White  must  lose  a move 


THE  OPENING 


29 


to  save  his  Q R P.  Meanwhile  Black  gains  time  for  concen- 
trating his  forces  for  a deadly  attack  on  White’s  Queen’s  Pawn. 


5.  P-Q  Kt  3 

6.  P— K 3 

7.  Kt-B  3 

and  wins  the  Q P,  or 

5.  P— Q R 3 

6.  P— K3 


Kt-Q  B 3 
Castles  Q R 
P— K 4 


Kt— Q B 3 
Castles  Q R 


and  P — K 4 is  again  threatened  and  cannot  be  prevented. 

This  position  shows,  that  to  bring  one’s  opponent’s  centre 
pawn  away  and  to  keep  one’s  own,  does  not  under  all  circum- 
stances mean  the  command  of  the  centre,  but  that  the  opening 
up  of  files  and  diagonals  for  one’s  pieces  towards  the  centre  is 
an  important  moment  in  the  fight  for  positional  advantage. 

Considerations  of  this  kind  will  help  to  improve  our  judg- 
ment in  many  of  the  various  openings  treated  in  the  following 
pages. 

We  will  class  the  openings  in  this  way  : 


A.  Wliite  I.  P — K 4. 

(а)  Black  i.  P — K 4 

(б)  Black  I.  Any  other  move 

B.  White  I.  P — Q 4. 

(a)  Black  i.  P — Q 4 

(b)  Black  I.  Any  other  move 


C.  White  I.  Any  other  move 

We  shall  find  that  openings  classed  iinder  C generally  lead 
to  positions  treated  under  A and  B. 


A.  We  have  already  come  to  the  conclusion  that  after  i P — 
K 4,  P — K 4 White  does  well  to  try  to  force  the  exchange 
of  Black’s  centre  pawn  on  Q 4 or  K B 4,  and  that  Black  will  try 
to  counteract  this,  unless  by  allowing  the  exchange  he  gets  a 
chance  of  exerting  pressure  in  the  centre  by  means  of  his  pieces. 

We  will  first  see  what  happens  when  White  undertakes  the 
advance  in  question  on  his  second  move.  Superficially  the 
difference  between  2 P Q 4 and  2 P — K B 4 is  that  in  the  first 
case  the  pawn  thus  advanced  is  covered,  while  in  the  second 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


30 

it  is  not.  An  opening  in  which  a pawn  sacrifice  is  offered,  is 
called  a " gambit  ” ; 2 P — K B 4 is  therefore  a gambit. 

2 P — Q 4 is  only  a gambit  if  after  2. . .P  x P White  does  not 
recapture  the  pawn.  Nevertheless  this  opening  has  been 
called  the  “ centre  gambit,”  and  though  the  denomination  is  not 
correct  we  will  adhere  to  it,  as  it  is  in  general  use. 

A very  considerable  difference  between  the  centre  gambit 
and  the  King’s  gambit  lies  in  the  fact  that  in  the  former 
acceptance  is  compulsory,  whilst  in  the  second  it  may  be 
* declined. 

For  ; 2 P — Q 4 threatens  to  take  the  King’s  Pawn.  To 
defend  it  by  means  of  2. . .P — Q 3 is  unwise,  since  White  ex- 
changes pawns  and  then  Queens,  by  which  Black  loses  his 
chance  of  castling  and  impedes  the  development  of  his  Rooks. 
2...Kt — Q B 3 is  also  bad,  since  after  3 PxP,  Kt  xP  ; 4 P — 
K B 4,  White  drives  the  Knight  away,  gaining  a strong  hold 
on  the  centre,  and  Black  has  no  compensation  for  giving 
up  his  centre  pawn.  It  may  be  mentioned  here  that  after 
2...Kt — Q B 3,  3 P — Q 5 would  be  a useless  move,  as  to  begin 
with  it  would  be  inconsequent,  since  P — Q 4 was  played  in 
order  to  clear  the  centre,  and  moreover  it  would  block  up  a 
diagonal  which  could  be  most  useful  to  the  King’s  Bishop. 

We  conclude  now  that  Black  cannot  hold  his  pawn  at  K 4. 
He  must  relinquish  the  centre  by  2...PxP.  He  will  now 
either  attempt  to  bring  away  White’s  King’s  Pawn  by 
advancing  his  own  Q P to  Q 4,  or  try  to  utilise  the  King’s  file, 
which  was  opened  by  his  second  move,  and  operate  against 
White’s  K P.  The  Rooks  are  indicated  for  this  task.  We 
shall  refer  to  the  execution  of  these  plans  later  on. 

In  the  King’s  gambit.  White’s  attempt  to  bring  away  Black’s 
King’s  Pawn  may  be  safely  ignored. 

The  move  2 P — K B 4 does  not  threaten  to  take  the  King’s 
Pawn,  as  Black  would  win  WTiite’s  K P by  Q — R 5 ch.  Black 
can  therefore  develop  in  security  with  2...B — B 4,  and  if 
then  White  prevents  the  Q check  by  Kt — K B 3,  there  is  no 
objection  to  Black  protecting  his  King’s  Pawn  with  P — Q 3, 
as  the  King’s  Bishop  is  already  developed.  After  4 B — B 4, 
Black  has  still  no  need  to  protect  his  K P with  Kt— Q B 3, 
but  can  play  Kt — K B 3 fost,  because  after  5 PxP,  PxP; 
6 Kt  X P would  be  answered  by  6. , .Q — Q 5 winning  a piece. 


THE  OPENING 


Black  keeps  the  upper  hand  in  these  early  encounters  because 
he  has  made  a developing  move  with  a piece,  whilst  White 
has  played  a pawn  move  which  is  useless  for  the  purpose  of 
development. 


Diag.  1 8. 


Diagram  i8  shows  the  position  which  results  from  the 
following  plausible  moves  ; 


2.  P— K B 4 

3.  Kt— K B 3 

4.  B — B 4 


B— B4 

P-Qs 


Kt— K B 3 
Kt— B 3 
B— K Kt  5 


If  White  wishes  to  castle  on  the  K side,  which  must  have 
been  his  intention  when  playing  2 P — K B 4,  he  will  have  to 
play  Kt — Q R 4 and  Kt  x B. 

Though  this  is  of  no  disadvantage  to  Black,  he  could  avoid 
the  exchange  of  his  K B by  playing  6...P — Q R 3 instead  of 
B — K Kt  5.  If  then  White  plays  P — B 5 in  order  to  hinder 
the  development  of  Black’s  Q B and  to  bring  out  his  own, 
the  pressure  on  Black’s  K P is  relieved  permanently,  and 
sooner  or  later  Black  will  break  through  on  the  Q file,  as  his 
Q P is  no  longer  needed  at  Q 3 for  the  support  of  the  centre 
pawn. 

A different  pawn  formation  is  the  result  if  White  enforces 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


32 

the  exchange  of  Black’s  centre  pawn  at  once.  This  he  can  do 
by  playing  P— Q 4,  e.g  : 

7.  P— K B 4 B— B 4 or  4.  P— B 3 Kt— K B 3 

3.  Kt— K B 3 P—0  3 5.  P— Q 4 P xQ  P 

4.  P—0  4 PxQP  6.  PxP  B— Kt3 

5.  KtxP 

Here  Black  can  get  an  early  advantage  by  attacking  White’s 
K P,  taking  possession  of  the  K file  after  castling  on  the  K 
side. 

All  things  considered,  the  student  should  in  my  opinion 
decline  the  gambit,  as  in  doing  so  he  can  get  an  easy  and 
satisfactory  development.  The  treatment  of  the  “ King’s 
Gambit  accepted,”  which  aims  at  holding  the  gambit  pawn, 
is  most  difficult  and  leads  early  in  the  game  to  such  complica- 
tions as  none  but  an  expert  can  hope  to  master.^  It  is  there- 
fore unwise  for  the  beginner  to  accept  the  gambit,  unless 
there  be  a chance  of  compensation  for  the  disappearance  of 
his  centre  pawn,  by  forcing  the  exchange  of  White’s  centre 
pawn  as  well.  The  following  line  of  play  would  fulfil  this 
condition  : 

I P— K 4,  P— K 4 ; 2 P— K B 4,  PxP;  3 Kt— K B 3, 
Kt — K B 3 ; 4 Kt — B 3,  P — Q 4 ! Black  thereby  abandons 
the  gambit  pawn. 

On  principle,  and  when  he  has  the  choice,  the  beginner 
should  give  preference  to  simple  and  clear  development  in  the 
opening,  rather  than  to  the  gain  of  a pavm,  when  this  involves 

^ As  an  example  of  the  difficult  play  which  ensues  when  Black  defends  the  pawn 
in  the  King’s  Gambit,  I give  the  latest  variation  of  an  attack  introduced  by  Professor 
I.  L.  Rice,  and  called  the  “ Rice  Gambit”  : 

I P— K 4,  P— K 4;  2 P— K B 4,  PxP;  3 Kt— K B 3,  P— K Kt  4; 
4 P— K R 4,  P— Kt  5 ; 5 Kt— K 5,  Kt— K B 3 ; 6 B— B 4,  P— Q 4 ; 7 P x P, 
B — Q 3 ; S Castles  ! B x Kt ; 9 R — K i,  Q— K 2 ; 10  P — B 3,  Kt — R 4 ; 1 1 P — Q 4, 
K'^ — Q 2 ; 12  P X B,  Kt  X F ; 13  P— Q Kt  3,  Castles ; 14  B — R 3,  Kt — B 6 ch  ! . 
15  Px  Kt,  Q X P ; 16  R — K 5 ! B — B 4 1 ! ; 17  Kt — Q 2 ! Q — Kt  6 ch  ; 18  K — B i, 
Q — R 7 ; 19  B X R,  P — Kt  6 ; 20  B — B 5,  P — Kt  7 ch  ; 21  K — K i,  Q — R 5 ch  ; 
22  K— K 2,  Kt— Kt  6 ch  ; 23  K— B 2,  Kt— K 5 ch  ; 24  K x P,  B— R 6 ch  j 
25  K — R I,  K — R i;  26  XtxKt,  R— K Ki  i , 27  R — Kt  5,  with  interesting 
possibilities. 

Numberless  interesting  variations  are  possible,  but  their  discussion  does  not  lie 
within  the  scope  of  this  work.  They  will  be  found  in  books  treating  of  the  analysis 
of  the  openings. 


THE  OPENING 


33 

difficult  and  intricate  play.  This  principle  must  also  guide  us 
in  other  openings. 

A good  example  is  to  be  found  in  the  so-called  “ Danish 
gambit,”  ^ which  will  lead  us  back  to  those  openings  in  which 
White  plays  P — Q 4 on  his  second  move.  After  2 P — Q 4, 
PxP,  ^Tiite  has  the  option  of  sacrificing  two  pawns  to  obtain 
a very  rapid  development  3 P — Q B 3,  PxP;  4 B — Q B 4, 
PxP;5QBxP.  It  may  now  be  just  possible  for  Black  to 
avoid  the  many  threats  which  White  can  bring  to  bear  with 
his  beautifully  placed  forces,  perhaps  by  giving  back  one  or 
both  of  the  pawns  gained.  But  this  question  can  only  be  of 
interest  to  us  if  there  is  no  opportunity  of  adopting  a simple 
line  of  development  at  the  outset.  As  it  is,  this  opportunity 
is  not  wanting.  All  that  Black  needs  to  do  is  to  push  on  his 
Queen’s  Pawn  as  soon  as  possible,  thus  freeing  his  own  Queen’s 
Bishop. 

2.  P — Q 4 PxP 

3.  P-Q  B 3 P-Q  4 


After  4 K P X P,  Q X P,  Black’s  position  is  at  least  as  easy  of 
development  as  White’s.  In  the  position  set  out  in  Diagram 
19,  Wffiite  cannot  play  P — K 5,  because  Black  wins  a pawn  by 
PxP  without  hindering  his  own  development  in  the  least. 

' The  names  of  the  various  openings,  which  I mention  for  the  sake  of  cors, 
pleteness,  are  generally  derived  from  towns  or  countries  in  which  they  were  first 
extensively  played  and  analysed. 

C 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


34 

The  equalising  power  of  Black’s  P — Q 4 in  all  K P openings 
where  White  has  played  P — Q 4 can  be  noticed  in  many  varia- 
tions. I shall  now  give  a few  typical  examples,  which  will 
show  the  line  of  play  that  can  be  adopted  in  many  similar 
cases,  and  which  can  often  be  evolved  one  from  the  other  by 
altering  the  order  of  the  moves. 


I.  Centre  Gambit 


2. 

3- 

4- 

5- 

6. 


P—0  4 
QxP 
Q-K3 
Kt-Q  B 3 
B-Q2 


PxP 

Kt-Q  B 3 
Kt— B 3 
B— K 2 
P-Q4! 


II.  Kings  Bishop’s  Opening 

2.  P— Q 4 PxP 

3.  B-Q  B 4 Kt-K  B 3 

4.  P-K  5 P-Q  4 ! 


III.  Scotch 


2. 

Kt— K B 3 

Kt-QB 

3- 

P-Q  4 

PxP 

4- 

B— B 4 

Kt-B3 

5- 

P— K5 

P-Q  4! 

Gambit 

3 

4.  P— B 3 P— Q 4 I 


IV.  Scotch  Game 


2.  Kt— K B 3 Kt-Q  B 3 

3.  P-Q  4 PxP 

4.  Kt  X P Kt — B 3 

5.  Kt-Q  B 3 B— Kt  5 

6.  Kt  X Kt  Kt  P X kt 

7.  B— Q 3 P-Q  4 ! 


In  no  case  should  Black  forfeit  his  chance  of  playing 
P — Q 4.  It  is  tempting  after  2 P — Q 4,  PxP;  3 Kt — K B 3 
to  cover  the  pawn  at  Q 5 by  P — Q B 4,  but  in  that  case 
White  would  sacrifice  a pawn  by  P — Q B 3,  by  this  means 
opening  the  Queen’s  file  for  himself,  and  so  preventing  Black 
from  ever  playing  P — Q 4.  Thus,  for  the  loss  of  a pawn, 
White  has  a paramount  advantage  in  position. 


THE  OPENING 


35 

For  after  4..,P xP,  5 KtxP  (Diagram  20)  White  has  de- 
veloped both  Knights,  and  his  Bishops  are  free,  whilst  Black  has 
none  of  his  pieces  out.  P — Q 3 must  also  be  played  in  order  to 
mobilise  the  Queen’s  Bishop,  leaving  K 2 as  the  only  square 
for  the  King’s  Bishop  ; finally  the  “ backward  ” pawn  ‘ at 
Q 3 is  open  to  constant  attacks  and  is  difficult  to  defend. 


The  best  plan  for  Black  is  to  decline  the  doubtful  gift  of  the 
pawn  and  to  bring  about  one  of  the  positions,  as  sketched 
above,  in  which,  by  playing  P — Q 4 early  in  the  game.  Black 
is  sure  of  the  free  development  of  all  his  forces. 

Black  is  able  to  play  P — Q 4 early  in  all  such  openings, 
where  Wliite  does  not  force  the  defensive  move  P — Q 3 by 
attacking  Black’s  King’s  Pawm.  For  instance,  in  the  King’s 
gambit,  since  the  move  2 P — K B 4 does  not  threaten  PxP, 
Black  can  reply  at  once  by  2...P — Q 4 (Falkbeer  Counter 
Gambit).  After  3 PxQ  P,  P — K 5 (to  permit  of  Kt — K B 3, 
which  at  present  is  not  feasible  on  account  of  4 P x P) ; 4 P — Q 3, 
P X P 1 5 Q X P,  White  is  a pawn  ahead,  but  his  Queen  obstructs 
his  K B ; therefore  Black  has  better  developing  chances  and 
should  be  able  to  win  the  pawn  back  at  the  very  least. 

A second  example  is  the  Vienna  game,  which  proceeds  as 
follows  : 

2.  Kt— Q B 3 Kt— K B 3 

3.  P— B4  P— Q4  (Diagram  21) 

‘ A pawn  is  said  to  be  “ backward,”  when  it  cannot  move  into  cover  by  another 
pawn. 


36 


CHESS  STR.\TEGY 


If  White  plays  4 P x Q P,  Black  can  play  P — K 5,  as  in  the 
Falkbeer  gambit  mentioned  just  now.  In  answer  to  4 P x K P, 
on  the  other  hand,  Black  can  play  Kt  x P without  having  the 
slightest  difficulty  with  his  development.  For  instance, 


5.  Kt— K B 3 B— K 2 

6.  P— Q 4 P— K B 3 

7.  B — Q 3 Kt  X Kt 

8.  P X Kt  Castles 


9.  Castles  Kt — B 3 or  B — K Kt  5 


and  Black  also  will  soon  have  an  open  file  for  his  Rook,  with 
no  disadvantage  in  position. 


Diag.  21. 


There  is,  however,  one  opening  in  which  Black  has  the 
utmost  difficulty  in  preventing  White  from  getting  a positional 
advantage  in  the  centre.  It  is  called  the  Ruy  Lopez,  and  is 
held  by  many  to  be  the  strongest  opening  for  White.  The 
initial  moves  are  : i P — K 4,  P — K 4 ; 2 Kt — K B 3,  Kt — 
Q B 3 ; 3 B — Kt  5.  With  this  move  White  at  once  attacks 
the  Black  K P,  though  indirectly,  by  threatening  to  exchange 
the  B for  the  Kt.  To  make  the  capture  effective,  however. 
White  must  first  protect  his  own  King’s  Pawn,  which  would 
otherwise  be  lost  after  4BxKt,QPxB;  sKtxP,  Q — Q 5 !. 
At  first,  therefore.  Black  need  not  provide  against  the  threat- 
ened exchange. 

I shall  treat  at  some  length  the  various  defences  from 
which  Black  can  choose,  and  in  studying  this  most  important 


THE  OPENING 


37 


King’s  side  opening,  we  shall  have  occasion  to  note  many 
points  of  general  interest  for  operations  in  the  centre. 

Broadly  speaking,  two  entirely  different  systems  of  defence 
can  be  distinguished  : either  Black  will  try  to  maintain  his 
centre  pawn,  or  else,  giving  up  the  centre,  try  to  gain  some  other 
advantage  as  compensation. 

Black  can  only  maintain  his  centre  pawn  if  he  can  prevent 
his  Q Kt  from  being  exchanged.  As  is  readily  seen,  White 
can  attack  Black’s  K P a second  time  with  P — Q 4,  whilst 
after  Black’s  P — Q 3 any  other  defensive  move  would  hinder 
development.  These  considerations  lead  to  the  first  main 
line  of  defence  in  which  Black  plays  3...P — Q R 3.  After 
4 B — R 4 Black  has  the  option  of  releasing  the  pin  by  playing 
P — O Kt  4 at  some  opportune  moment.  If  White  elects  to 
exchange  his  Bishop  for  the  Kt  forthwith,  he  can  remove  the 
Black  centre  pawn  after  4. ..Q  PxB  by  playing  5 P — Q 4, 
but  the  exchange  of  the  B for  the  Kt  gives  Black  a free  develop- 
ment and  in  consequence  a good  game.  (Compare  note  to 
move  4 in  Game  No.  12.) 

Diagram  22  reproduces  a typical  position  in  this  defence. 
The  more  usual  continuation  for  White  is  4 B — R 4,  Kt — B 3 ; 


Diag.  22. 


5 Castles  ; he  does  not  trouble  to  protect  his  K P as 
its  capture  would  allow  his  Rook  an  open  file  on  which  to 
act  against  the  opposing  King  (compare  Games  Nos.  14 
and  17)  5...B — K 2.  Now  Black  can  capture  the  K P 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


3« 

without  much  risk,  as  the  Bishop  is  on  the  King’s  file.  6 R — 
K I,  White  covers  his  pawn,  and  thereby  threatens  to  win  a 
pawn  by  BxKt.  Therefore  Black  must  not  delay  playing 
6,..P— Q Kt  4. 

After  7 B — Kt  3,  P — Q 3 ; (Diagram  22)  White  cannot  yet 
execute  the  manoeuvre  which  underlies  the  whole  tendency  of  the 
Ruy  Lopez,  namely  P — Q 4,  maintaining  the  pressure  in  the 
centre,  because  after  Kt  x Q P,  9 Kt  x Kt,  P x Kt ; 10  Q x P ? 
White  loses  a piece  through  10... P — B 4,  etc.  It  is  therefore 
necessary  to  play  P — Q B 3 first.  White  could  also  obtain 
a rapid  development  by  Kt — B 3,  P — Q 3,  B — K 3 or 
Kt  5,  but  this  arrangement  is  not  popular,  because  Black 
can  play  Kt — Q R 4 and  exchange  the  valuable  K B.  The 
pawn  at  Q B 3 supports  an  advance  in  the  centre,  and  also 
provides  a retreat  for  the  K B.  The  Q Kt  can  be  developed 
in  this  way  : Kt — Q 2 — B i — Kt  3 or  K 3.  Black,  however, 
must  try  to  round  off  his  pawn  position  on  the  Queen’s  side, 
by  moving  his  Q B P into  line.  Black’s  pawns  at  K 4 and 
Q B 4 then  exert  a pressure  on  White’s  Q 4.  And  this  pressure 
threatens  to  be  reinforced  by  B — Kt  5.  From  these  con- 
siderations the  following  development  seems  to  be  natural : 
8 P— B 3,  Kt— Q R 4 ; 9 B— B 2,  P— B 4 ; 10  P— Q 4,  0— B 2 
(to  support  the  K PI : it  leads  to  the  position  in  Diagram  23. 


One  of  the  few  instances  in  which  this  pawn  move  is  justified. 
It  deprives  Black’s  Q B of  its  only  good  square,  and  saves  the 
K Kt,  the  co-operation  of  which  is  urgently  needed  in  the 
centre. 


THE  OPENING 


39 

This  system  of  opening  will  receive  more  exhaustive  treat- 
ment under  the  heading  of  " Middle  Game.”  (Compare 
Game  No.  12.) 

'\Jn  the  second  main  line  of  defence,  of  which  I shall  treat  now, 
Black  renounces  the  maintenance  of  his  K P,  and  makes 
an  attempt  to  find  compensation  by  attacking  White’s 
King’s  Pawn.  The  King’s  file,  opened  by  the  disappearance 
of  the  Black  pawn,  offers  opportunities  for  that  purpose.  After 
the  first  few  moves  we  arrive  at  the  following  position,  which 


may  be  reached  thus  : 3 B — Kt  5,  P — O 3 ; 4 P — Q 4,  B — Q 2 ; 
5 Kt — B 3,  Kt — B 3 ; 6 Castles,  B — K 2 ; 7 R — K i,  P x P ; 
8 Kt  X P,  Castles.  The  exchange  on  the  seventh  move  is  com- 
pulsory, because  the  loss  of  a pawn  after  B x Kt  is  in  effect 
threatened,  now  that  the  White  K P is  supported  by  the  Rook. 

Black’s  intention  of  exerting  pressure  on  the  K P is  now 
difficult  of  execution,  because  his  pieces  are  very  cramped 
and  hinder  one  another  in  a restricted  area.  The  K B in  par- 
ticular cannot  be  brought  into  action  without  great  difficulty, 
for  instance  by  : R — K i,  B — K B i,  P — K Kt  3,  and  B — Kt  2. 
It  is  therefore  advisable  for  White  to  develop  his  O B at  Kt  2 
instead  of  at  Kt  5,  in  order  not  to  give  Black  a chance  of  ex- 
changing his  troublesome  Bishop.  (In  a game  Bemsteln- 
Emanuel  Lasker,  Moscow,  1914,  there  happened  9 BxKt, 
P X B ; 10  B — Kt  5,  P — K R 3 ; ii  B — R 4,  Kt — R 2 ; 12  B x B, 
QxB  with  a good  game  for  Black.) 

The  defence  has  a totally  different  trend,  if  Black  gives 


40  CHESS  STRATEGY 

up  his  own  K P,  but  captures  the  Wliite  K P at  once.  I have 
already  pointed  out  that  White  would  not  mind  his  K P being 
taken,  in  view  of  the  attack  on  the  open  King’s  file.  Let  us 
now  consider  in  which  way  this  attack  can  be  planned.  There 
are  two  essentially  different  lines,  according  to  whether  Black 
interpolates  P — O R 3 or  not. 

After  3 B — ICt  5,  Kt — B 3 ; 4 Castles,  Kt  x P ; 5 R — K i. 
Black  gets  out  of  it  comfortably  by  playing  Kt — Q 3,  B — K 2 
and  Castles,  and  White  cannot  permanently  prevent  Black’s 
game  from  being  freed  by  the  advance  of  the  Q P.  P — Q 4 
for  White  on  the  fifth  move  is  therefore  stronger.  Black 
cannot  very  well  exchange  the  pawns,  leaving  the  King’s  file 
quite  exposed,  and  must  submit  to  White  playing  PxP, 
maintaining  the  pawn  at  K 5 and  preventing  Black’s  P — Q 4 
for  some  time  to  come. 

The  opening  might  continue  in  this  way  ; 5 P — Q 4, 
B— K 2 ; 6 Q— K 2,  Kt— Q 3 ; 7 BxKt,  Kt  PxB  (to  make 
room  for  the  Kt) ; 8 P x P,  Kt — Kt  2 (Diagram  25). 


The  whole  of  the  manoeuvres  now  centre  round  Black’s 
endeavours  to  force  his  P — Q 4,  and  White’s  attempt  to  pre- 
vent it.  Black  ultimately  gains  his  point,  as  will  be  seen,  but 
at  the  expense  of  such  disadvantages  in  the  pawn  position 
that  it  is  questionable  whether  the  whole  variation  (called  the 
Rio  de  Janeiro  Defence)  is  playable. 

9 Kt — B 3,  Castles  ; 10  R — K i,  Kt — B 4 (the  Knight  is 
to  be  posted  at  K 3 to  bring  the  White  K Kt  away  from  his 


THE  OPENING 


41 

Q whence  he  prevents  the  advance  of  Black’s  Q P by  attack 
ing  Q B 6) ; ii  Kt — Q 4,  Kt — K 3 ; 12  B — K 3,  KtxKt  ; 
13  B X Kt,  P — B 4 ; 14  B — K 3,  P — 0 4;  15  P x P e.p.,  B x P. 
This  is  the  critical  position  in  the  Rio  de  Janeiro  defence. 
Black  has  succeeded  in  eliminating  the  White  centre  pawn,  and 
sweeps  long  diagonals  with  his  Bishops,  but  the  advantage 
cannot  be  maintained.  White  exchanges  the  Bishop  at  Q 6, 
and  there  remains  a backward  pawn,  which  Black  will  hardly 
be  able  to  hold  permanently.  In  practice  it  has  been  shown 
that  the  end-game  should  be  won  by  White  in  spite  of  Bishops 
of  opposite  colours,  as  Black’s  pawn  at  his  Q B 4 is  difficult 
to  defend. 

16  Kt — K 4,  B — Kt  2 ; 17  Kt  X B (not  B x P because  of 
BxB;  18  KtxB,  BxP  followed  by  Q — Kt  4 ch),  PxKt; 
18  Q R — Q I and  P — Q B 4. 

The  game  is  much  more  favourable  for  Black  if  he  first 
plays  3...P — Q R 3,  and  retains  the  option  of  driving  the  Wliite 
K B away  by  P — Q Kt  4,  after  which  P — O 4 can  be  enforced 
very  soon.  3 B — Kt  5,  P — Q R 3 ; 4 B — R 4,  Kt — B 3 ; 
5 Castles,  Kt  x P ; 6 P — Q 4,  P — Q Kt  4 ; 7 B — Kt  3,  P — Q 4 ; 
8 PxP,  B — K 3,  9 P — B3. 

Now  Black’s  pieces  are  more  mobile,  and  that  is  the  reason 
why  this  system  of  defence  is  becoming  more  popular  than 
any  other. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  cannot  be  denied  that  Black’s  pawn 
formation  on  the  Q side  is  weak,  and  that  his  centre  is  less 
secure.  Whilst  White  has  a pawn  firmly  posted  in  the  centre. 
Black  has  a Knight  there  which  will  soon  be  driven  away. 
White’s  Q 4,  the  basis  of  his  centre,  is  entirely  in  his  hands, 
whilst  Black’s  Q 4 is  exposed  to  a steady  pressure  by  the  Wdiite 
pieces.  Finally  Black’s  Q Kt  is  unfavourably  placed,  obstruct- 
ing as  it  does  the  Q B P and  preventing  its  falling  into  line  with 
its  fellows. 

Diagram  26  shows  the  position  after  9 P — B 3.  The  latter 
move  prevents  the  exchange  of  the  B after  Black’s  Kt — R 4, 
an  exchange  which  would  allow  Black  to  round  up  his  pawn 
formation  with  P — Q B 4.  The  experts  are  not  yet  agreed  as 
to  the  best  continuation  for  Black  in  this  critical  position. 
To  be  considered  are  the  moves  B — Q B 4,  B — K 2 and  Kt — B 4. 
B — K 2 is  preferred  nowadays  to  B — Q B 4,  as  Q B 4 should  be 


42  CHESS  STRATEGY 

kept  free  for  the  K Kt  in  case  the  latter  is  driven  from 
his  dominating  position,  e.g.  lo  R — K i and  ii  Q Kt — Q 2. 
For  if  in  that  case  Black  exchanges  the  Knights,  he  only 
furthers  White’s  development  without  doing  an5dhing  towards 
strengthening  his  Q 4. 

If  Black  covers  the  Knight  with  P — B 4,  White  plays 
PxP  e.p.  and  Kt — Kt  5,  rids  himself  of  Black’s  Q B,  and 
thereby  weakens  Black’s  Q P still  more. 

Kt — B 4 would  therefore  seem  to  be  the  best  choice,  as  the 
Q B becomes  mobile  again  after  White’s  B — B 2,  nor  can  White 


play  P— Q 4 as  yet.  The  position  in  the  diagram  therefore 
leads  to  the  following  variations  ; 

A.  9...B — K 2;  10  R — K I,  Castles;  ii  Q Kt — Q 2, 
Kt — B 4 ; 12  B — B 2,  B — K Kt  5.  This  manoeuvre  was 
introduced  by  Em.  Lasker  (Petrograd,  1909.  For  further 
particulars  see  Game  No.  15). 

B.  9...Kt— B 4 ; 10  Q Kt — Q 2,  P — Q 5 (Capablanca-Em. 
Lasker,  Petrograd,  1914)  ; or  9...B — K 2 ; 10  R — K i,  Castles  ; 
II  Q Kt — Q 2,  Kt — B 4 ; 12  B — B 2,  P — Q 5 (Em.  Lasker- 
Tarrasch,  Petrograd,  1914). 

Capablanca  believes  that  the  early  advance  of  P — Q 5 can 
be  refuted  by  Kt — K 4,  e.g.  9...B — K 2 ; 10  Q Kt — Q 2, 
Kt — B 4 ; II  B — B 2,  P — Q 5 ; 12  Kt — K 4,  P x P ; 13  Kt  x 
Kt,  B X Kt ; 14  B — K 4,  Q — Q 2 ; 15  Q— B 2 or  P x P. 


The  openings  as  sketched  out  up  to  this  point  give  a suffi- 
ciently clear  idea  of  the  possibilities  of  combining  sound 


THE  OPENING 


43 

development  with  an  attempt  to  capture  the  centre  after  the 
opening  moves  i P — K 4,  P — K 4.  In  most  cases,  Black’s  centre 
pawn  being  open  to  attack  by  White’s  P — Q 4,  we  find  an  early 
break-up  of  the  centre,  and  concurrently  the  opening  of  the 
Ks  or  Qs  file  for  the  Rooks.  That  is  why  games  opened  in 
this  fashion  have  been  classed  very  generally  as  “ open,” 
whilst  all  the  other  openings  are  called  “ close  games.”  Lately 
the  distinction  has  been  abandoned,  and  very  rightly,  since  in 
the  latter  openings,  too,  the  centre  can  be  cleared  occasionally. 

We  attain  typical  close  positions  when  Black  does  not  play 
I...P — K 4 in  answer  to  i P — K 4,  but  relinquishes  all  claim 
on  his  K 4 and  takes  possession  of  his  Q 4 instead,  leaving 
White  the  option  of  interlocking  the  pawns  in  the  centre  with 

P-KS- 

On  principle  it  does  not  seem  advisable  for  Black  to  play 
P — Q 4 on  the  first  move  in  reply  to  i P — K 4.  Although 
White’s  centre  pawn  disappears  after  2 P x P,  Q X P,  Black 
loses  a move  through  3 Kt — Q B 3,  and  his  Queen  has  no 
place  from  which  it  cannot  be  driven  away  very  soon,  unless 
it  be  at  Q i.  This,  however,  would  amount  to  an  admission 
of  the  inferiority  of  the  whole  of  Black’s  plan. 

There  are  two  moves  which  deserve  consideration  as  a 
preliminary  to  P — 0 4,  namely,  I...P — K 3 (French  Defence) 


and  P — Q B 3 (Caro-Kann  defence).  After  2 P — Q 4,  P — Q 4, 
we  attain  the  positions  set  out  in  the  Diagrams  27  and  28,  to 
which  we  must  devote  a good  deal  of  attention. 


44 


CHESS  STRATEGY 

These  openings  are  worthy  of  study  as  being  especially 
interesting  examples  of  the  struggle  for  the  centre. 

As  early  as  the  third  move,  White  has  to  take  an  important 
decision.  Is  he  to  play  P — K 5 and  prevent  the  opening  of 


Diag.  28. 


the  K or  Q file  for  a long  time  to  come,  or  should  he  proceed 
to  develop  his  pieces,  and  leave  Black  the  option  of  anticipat- 
ing the  blocking  of  the  centre  by  playing  P x P himself  ? 

I shall  first  turn  my  attention  to  those  games  in  which 
White  plays  P — K 5,  starting  with  the  French  Defence,  after 
which  the  Caro-Kann  Defence  will  be  easily  understood. 

The  position  which  ensues  in  the  centre  after  i P— K 4, 
P — K 3 ; 2 P — Q 4,  P — Q 4 ; 3 P — K 5,  divides  the  board 
diagonally,  and  it  is  easy  to  recognise  roughly  the  main  lines 
of  play  which  will  govern  the  game.  White  has  more  scope 
on  the  King’s  side,  where  his  pieces  will  have  greater  mobility, 
and  prospects  of  attack.  Black’s  chances  are  on  the  Queen’s 
side.  Both  sides  will  have  to  advance  more  pawns  in  order  to 
obtain  openings  for  their  Rooks,  and  use  them  for  the  attack, 
since  they  have  no  future  on  the  K and  Q files,  as  was  the 
case  in  the  openings  mentioned  hitherto. 

The  obvious  moves  to  this  end  are  ; for  White  the  advance 
of  the  K B P,  for  Black  that  of  the  Q B P and  sometimes  even 
of  the  Q Kt  P,  that  is  when  the  Q B P has  not  been  exchanged 
for  the  opposing  Q P,  but  has  pushed  on  to  B 5. 


THE  OPENING 


45 

In  Diagrams  29  and  30  we  see  the  chains  of  pawns  formed 
by  these  manoeuvres. 

White’s  pawn  attack  is  more  dangerous  than  Black’s, 


Diag.  29. 


because  it  involves  a direct  assault  on  the  King.  And  we  shall 
see  that  Black  will  usually  be  compelled  to  suspend  operations 
on  the  Queen’s  side  temporarily,  to  ward  off  the  storm  by  the 


ii  ■"■fat 

'WB,.  4-  'WM  • 


I 


B/,  ^ 

t « 


wm  p 

m * ^1  ^ wm 




W. 


m. 


Diag.  30. 


WTiite  Pawns  on  the  King’s  side.  He  will  attempt  this  either 
by  P — K B 3 attacking  Wdiite’s  centre  or  by  P — K B 4 
preventing  White  from  playing  P — B 5.  In  the  latter  case 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


46 

White  can  only  make  a breach  in  the  Black  barrier  by  playing 
P — K Kt  4 as  well.  These  manoeuvres  result  in  the  pawn 
formations  given  in  Diagrams  31  and  32. 


Diag.  31. 


We  must  now  turn  to  the  development  of  the  pieces  corre- 
sponding to  these  pawn  skeletons.  If  White  plays  P — -K  5 


Diag.  32. 


on  his  third  move,  he  prevents  the  Black  K Kt  from  reach- 
ing K B 3,  whence  he  might  have  moved  to  Q 2.  This  is  a 
desirable  position,  from  which  he  could  support  the  advance  of 


THE  OPENING 


47 

p — Q B 4.  But  the  Knight  has  other  chances  of  develop- 
ment, to  K R 3 and  B 4,  whence  he  can  take  his  share  in  the 
attack  on  the  White  Pawn  at  Q 4.  In  consequence  White 
must  postpone  P — K B 4 in  order  not  to  intercept  the  action 
of  the  Q B on  R 6.  Now,  in  that  case  White’s  Pawn  at  his 
K 5 has  not  sufficient  support  against  the  attack  by  Black’s 
P — K B 3 (Diagram  31),  and  the  latter  move  gives  Black  the 
advantage.  The  two  main  variations  illustrative  of  these 
considerations  are  : 


1 


3.  P— K 5 
i P-Q  B 3 

5.  P— K B 4 

6.  PxP 

7.  Kt — K B 3 


P-QB4 

Kt-Q  B 3 
PxP 
Q-Kt3 
Kt— R 3 


II 


3.  P-K  5 P-Q  B 4 

4.  P— Q B 3 Kt-Q  B 3 

5.  Kt— B 3 P— B 3 


In  both  cases  the  initiative  falls  to  Black,  in  the  first 
through  the  attack  on  White’s  Q 4,  the  mainstay  of  White’s 
centre  ; in  the  second  through  attack  on  White’s  K 5,  the 
White  centre  itself.  We  must  therefore  consider  White’s  ad- 
vance of  P — K 5 on  the  third  move  as  premature.  Let  us 
now  find  out  whether  it  is  advantageous  to  effect  the  same 
subsequently.  A developing  move  can  be  interpolated,  e.g. 
3 Kt — Q B 3,  Kt — K B 3.  If  Wliite  plays  P — K 5 now  he 
gains  time  for  his  advance  of  P — K B 4,  as  Black’s  Knight  must 
retreat.  On  the  other  hand  he  cannot  now  maintain  his 
pawn  at  Q 4,  as  he  has  blocked  his  Q B P.  We  arrive  at  the 
following  plan  of  development  : 


3.  Kt-Q  B 3 

4.  P-K  5 

5.  P-B  4 

6.  PxP 


Kt— K B 3 
K Kt-Q  2 
P-QB4 
Kt-Q  B 3 


48 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


If  Black  were  to  play  B x P at  once.  White  could  play 
Q — Kt  4 with  an  attack  on  the  Knight’s  Pawn.  That  is  the 
object  of  Black’s  waiting  move.  White  must  either  play 
7.  Kt — B 3,  which  prevents  his  Q — Kt  4,  or  7.  B — Q 3, 
after  which  Black  would  take  the  pawn  on  B 4 with  his  Knight, 
getting  rid  of  the  White  Bishop.  7.  Q — Kt  4 at  once  would 
be  answered  by  P — B 4. 


7.  Kt— B3 

8.  B-Q  3 


BxP 
P— B 4 


Black  cannot  castle  yet,  on  account  of  the  following  threat, 
which  I give  in  full  because  it  occurs  frequently  in  practice ; 
8.  ...  Castles ; 9.  B x P ch,  K x B ; 10.  Kt — Kt  5 ch,  K — Kt  i : 
II.  Q — R 5,  R — K I ; 12.  QxP  ch  ; 13.  O — R 5 ch  ; 14.  Q — 
R 7 ch ; 15.  Q— R 8 ch  ; 16.  QxP  mate.  ~ 


Diag.  33. 


llie  position  in  the  diagram  seems  favourable  to  Black 
as  White  cannot  castle  for  some  time. 

For  that  reason  another  line  of  play  has  come  to  the  fore, 
in  which  White  exchanges  his  inactive  Q B for  Black’s  trouble- 
some K B. 


3.  Kt-Q  B 3 

4.  B— Kt  5 


Kt— K B 3 
B— K 2 


THE  OPENING 


49 


5.  P— K 5 K Kt— Q 2 

6.  BxB  QxB 


Diag.  34. 


White  has  now  the  choice  of  two  lines  of  development.  He 
can  either  prepare  for  P — Q B 3 to  support  his  Q P.  or  he  can 
develop  his  King’s  side,  holding  the  P at  K 5 only 


I 


7- 

Kt-Kt  5 

Kt-Kt  3 

8. 

P-QB3 

P— 0 R3 

9- 

Kt-Q  R 3 

P-QB4 

10. 

P— K B 4 

Kt-B  3 

II. 

Kt— B 2 

Castles 

12. 

Kt-B  3 

B— p 2 

13- 

B-Q3 

P— B 4 

The  sacrifice  B x P ch,  as  mentioned  above,  was  threatened. 

14.  Castles  Kt — R 5 

15.  R— Kt  I P— Q Kt  4 

If  White  does  not  wish  to  lose  so  many  moves  with  his  Kt, 
he  can  effect  the  intended  protection  of  his  Q P as  follows  : 

7-  Q—Q  2 p— Q R 3 

not  P — Q B 4 at  once,  because  of  Kt — Kt  5. 

8.  Kt— Q I P— Q B 4 


D 


50 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


II 


7.,  P— B 4 
8.  Kt— B3 
9-  B— Q 3 
10.  Castles 


Castles 
P-QB4 
P— B 4 
Kt— Q B 3 


and  so  on. 

In  both  cases  White  has  an  easy  development,  whilst 
Black  has  no  convenient  square  for  his  Queen’s  Bishop. 

To  avoid  this  drawback  Rubinstein  has  evolved  the  fol- 
lowing variation,  in  which  provision  is  made  from  the  first 
for  the  freedom  of  action  of  the  Queen’s  Bishop  : 


3.  Kt— Q B 3 Kt-K  B 3 

4.  B— Kt  5 P X P 


to  open  the  diagonal  for  the  Bishop  at  Q Kt  2,  e.g. : 

5.  KtxP  QKt— O2 

6.  Kt— K B 3 B— K 2^ 


followed  by  P — Q Kt  3 and  B — Kt  2. 

We  will  now  leave  the  French  defence  and  turn  our  atten- 
tion to  the  Caro-Kann,  of  which  the  initial  position  was  shown 
in  Diagram  28.  Here  also  we  find  two  essentially  different 
systems  of  development,  according  to  whether  WTiite  plays 
P — K 5 or  gives  Black  the  option  of  exchanging  pawns  by 
3.  Kt — Q B 3.  In  the  first  case  a very  noticeable  difference 
from  the  French  defence  is,  that  Black  can  bring  out  his 
Queen’s  Bishop.  Here  the  process  of  development  may  be  : 

3.  P— K 5 B— B 4 

4.  B— Q3  BxB 

Not  B — Kt  3,  because  White  could  play  P — K 6 ! and  paralyse 
the  whole  of  Black’s  game  by  preventing  his  playing  the  King’s 
Pawn. 


5.  QxB  P— K3 

6.  Kt — K 2 or  K R 3 


THE  OPENING 


51 

Through  this  the  move  P — K B 4,  which  fits  into  this  pawn 
formation,  is  kept  in  reserve. 

While  White’s  development  is  easy  and  natural,  Black 
has  difficulty  in  finding  good  places  for  his  King’s  side  pieces. 
The  game  can  proceed  generally  speaking  on  the  lines  of  the 
French  defence.  Only  Black  can  hardly  attack  White’s 
centre  with  P — B 3,  since  the  Pawn  at  K 3 would  be  weak  in 
the  absence  of  the  Queen’s  Bishop.  On  the  other  hand.  Black 
would  be  a move  behind  with  an  attack  on  the  Queen’s 
side,  since  to  reach  Q B 4 his  pawn  would  have  made  two  moves 
instead  of  one  as  in  the  French  defence.  A certain  compensa- 
tion lies  in  the  fact  that  White’s  attacking  King’s  Bishop  has 
been  exchanged. 

In  practical  play  it  has  nevertheless  been  shown  that  White’s 
attack  is  more  likely  to  succeed,  and  for  this  reason  a varia- 
tion introduced  by  Niemzowitsch  has  been  tried  several  times ; 
it  aims  at  the  exchange  of  Queens  in  order  to  weaken  and 
retard  White’s  threatened  attack,  and  to  gain  time  for  Queen’s 
side  operations. 

6 Q— Kt  3 

7.  Castles  Q — R 3 or  Kt  4 

But  after  8 Kt — B 4,  QxQ;  9 KtxQ,  White  is  so  much 
ahead  with  his  development  that  Black’s  chance  of  equalising 
the  game  would  seem  questionable. 

If  White  plays  Kt — K R 3 on  his  sixth  move,  he  foils  at 
once  Black’s  attempt  of  forcing  an  exchange  of  Queens,  as  he 
could  play  8 Q — K Kt  3. 

On  the  whole  we  can  conclude  that  in  the  Caro-Kann  de- 
fence White  obtains  a good  game  by  3 P — K 5. 

A line  of  play  which  used  to  be  in  vogue,  namely,  3 Kt — 
Q B 3,  P X P : 4 Kt  X P,  Kt — B 3 ; 5 Kt  x Kt  ch,  K P x Kt 
or  Kt  P X Kt,  gives  Black  an  even  chance,  for  although  he 
loses  his  centre  pawn  he  obtains  a good  development,  and 
later  in  the  game  he  has  opportunities  of  exercising  pressure 
on  White’s  Q P through  his  open  Q file. 


52 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


Except  the  French  defence  and  the  Caro-Kann,  there  is 
no  game  in  which  an  irregular  reply  to  White’s  i P — K 4 
necessitates  any  special  considerations  either  in  development 
of  pieces  or  pawn  formation.  In  all  such  cases  it  is  sufficient 
to  maintain  the  pawn  centre  and  to  occupy  such  squares 
with  the  pieces,  whence  they  cannot  be  driven  away  with 
the  loss  of  a move.  Just  one  example ; If  Black  plays 
I...P — Q B 4 (Sicilian  defence).  White  will  not  play  his  King’s 
Bishop  to  B 4,  because  Black  can  reply  P — K 3,  and  gain 
a move  by  P — Q 4. 

B.  Let  us  now  consider  the  openings  in  which  the  first  move 
is  I P — Q 4 on  either  side.  Here  the  centre  cannot  be  cleared 
as  early  as  in  the  openings  beginning  with  i P — K 4,  P — K 4. 
The  advance  of  a second  centre  pawn,  which  there  led 
to  a clearance,  is  not  feasible  in  this  case.  White  does  not 
command  his  K 4,  and  for  some  time  to  come  he  will  be 
unable  to  advance  the  K pawn  beyond  K 3.  In  consequence 
the  K file  does  not  seem  a likely  opening  for  the  Rooks,  and 
another  file  must  be  found  for  them.  The  conclusions  arrived 
at  for  Black  in  the  French  defence  hold  good  for  both  sides  in 
the  opening  now  under  consideration,  and  accordingly  the 
Q B file  is  that  most  advantageous  for  the  Rooks.  The 
advance  of  the  Q B P strikes  at  the  opposing  centre,  and,  that 
being  of  paramount  importance,  the  Queen’s  Knight  must  not 
be  developed  at  B 3 before  the  Q B P has  been  pushed  on. 
Another  development  might  be  conceivable  for  the  Rooks ; 
viz.  on  the  K B file,  and  also  the  K Kt  or  K R file  ; here,  as 
we  shall  see,  an  occasion  may  arise  for  storming  the  opposing 
King’s  side  by  a pawn  attack.  But  in  this  case,  too,  although 
it  seems  unnecessary  to  play  the  Q B P,  it  is  advisable  to 
develop  the  Knight  via  Q 2,  as  there  is  a constant  threat  of 
the  Q B file  being  forced  open  subsequently  by  the  opposing 
forces. 

We  will  start  with  the  games  in  which  the  Q B Pawns  are 
played  in  the  earliest  stages  of  the  opening,  so  that  the  pawn 
skeleton  in  Diagram  35  forms  the  basis  of  development.  The 
sequence  of  moves  is  of  moment,  because  the  advance  of  the 
K P,  whether  forced  or  not,  determines  the  possibility  of 
bringing  out  the  Q Bishops.  The  simplest  process  of  develop- 


THE  OPENING 


53 

ment  based  on  Diagram  35  is  the  following,  in  which  both 
sides  block  up  the  Q B, 


Diag.  35. 


2.  P— K3 

3.  Kt— K B 3 

4.  P— B 4 

5.  Kt— B 3 

6.  B-Q  3 

7.  Castles. 


P— K 3 
Kt— K B 3 
P— B 4 
Kt— B 3 
B-Q  3 

Castles 


The  only  useful  square  for  the  Q B’s  on  either  side  is  now  at 
Kt  2,  and  8 P — Q Kt  3,  P — Q Kt  3 are  indicated.  To  play 
P — Q Kt  3 before  castling  is  very  dangerous,  because  Black 
can  play  P xQ  P and  pin  the  White  Q Kt  with  B — Kt  5,  forc- 
ing B — Q 2,  when  B — Kt  2 was  the  move  intended,  e.g. 
6 P—Q  Kt  3,  B PxP;  7 K PxP,  B-Kt  5 ; 8 B— Kt  2, 
Kt — K 5 ; 9 0 — B 2,  Q — R 4 ; 10  R — Q B i,  Q x P. 

In  order  not  to  relinquish  the  square  at  Q Kt  4 to  Black, 
Wliite  can  also  try  the  following  manoeuvre  : 

6.  PxBP  BxP 

7.  P — Q R 3 Castles 

8.  P-Q  Kt  4 B-Q  3 

9.  B — Kt  2 

If  Black  imitates  White’s  moves,  viz.  9,..  PxP  ; 10  BxP, 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


54 

P — Q R 3 ; II  Castles,  P— Q Kt  4 ; 12  B — Q 3,  B — Kt  2. 
the  result  is  the  symmetrical  position  in  Diagram  36. 


Diag.  36. 


When  treating  of  the  middle  game,  we  shall  find  that  even 
in  this  apparently  fully  equalised  position  the  influence  of  the 
first  move  is  still  at  work. 

In  order  to  obtain  a more  thorough  understanding  of  the 
Queen’s  Pawn  game,  we  must  now  turn  our  attention  very 
closely  to  the  opening  moves.  Already  on  the  second  move 
White  can  play  2.  P — Q B 4 and  turn  the  game  into  a Queen’s 
gambit,  which  Black  can  either  accept  or  decline.  Black  would 
be  justified  in  playing  2...PxP,  and  so  furthering  White’s 
object  of  getting  his  (Black’s)  Queen’s  Pawn  away,  if  he  could 
permanently  hold  the  gambit  pawn,  or  if  the  giving  up  of  the 
square  at  Q 4 fits  into  a reasoned  system  of  development. 
The  latter  was,  for  instance,  the  case  in  the  play  leading  to 
the  position  shown  in  the  Diagram  36.  But  Black  is  well 
advised  to  wait  until  White  has  moved  the  King’s  Bishop 
before  taking  the  pawn  on  his  Q B 5.  This  forces  the  Bishop 
to  move  twice,  and  Black  regains  the  move  he  lost  in  his 
development,  when  he  played  P x P. 

It  would  be  quite  incorrect  to  try  to  hold  the  pawn  by 
P — Q Kt  4 as  follows  : 

2.  P— Q B 4 

3.  Kt~K  B 3 


PxP 

Kt— K B 3 


THE  OPENING 


55 


4.  P— K 3 P— Q Kt  4 

5.  P-Q  R 4 


If  now  Black  answers  PxP,  White  simply  plays  B xP  and  the 
P at  R 5 is  lost  very  soon.  If  Black  plays  instead  : 5. . .P — B 3, 
White  wins  back  his  pawn  with  6 P — Q Kt  3,  P x Kt  P ; 
7 PxP,  PxP;  8 BxP  ch  by  QxP,  and  moreover  is  much 
ahead  with  his  development. 

These  considerations  point  to  the  conclusion  that  after 
2 P — Q B 4 there  is  no  inducement  for  Black  to  take  the  pawn. 
On  the  contrary,  he  will  cover  his  centre  pawn,  which  White 
wishes  to  tempt  away,  either  with  P — K 3 or  P — Q B 3.  The 
attempt  to  develop  the  Queen’s  Bishop  before  playing  P — K 3 
is  not  to  be  recommended,  because  the  Q Kt’s  pawn  remains 
unprotected  and  open  to  an  immediate  attack  by  3 Q — Kt  3. 
Of  the  two  remaining  replies,  2...P — K 3 and  2...P — Q B 3,  1 
will  first  discuss  the  former,  as  being  the  more  natural  of  the 
two,  since  P — Q B 3 does  not  fit  into  the  scheme  for  opening  the 
Q B file  for  the  Rooks.  White,  on  the  other  hand,  can  bring 
out  his  Q B before  playing  P — K 3,  in  this  way ; 

2P-QB4,P-K3:  3Kt-QB3,Kt-KB3;  4 B-Kt  5, 
and  the  game  might  proceed  as  follows:  4...Q  Kt — Q 2. 
(Diagram  38.) 

No  fault  can  be  found  with  this  move,  although  it  blocks 
the  Bishop,  since  the  latter  can  only  be  developed  effectively 
at  Kt  2.  Moreover,  the  Knight  at  Q 2 supports  the  projected 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


56 

P — B 4.  WTiite  cannot  win  a pawn  now  with  5 PxP,  PxP  ; 
6 KtxP,  because  of  KtxKt  ; 7 BxQ,  B — Kt  5 ch.  There- 
fore 5 P — K 3 must  be  played  first,  and  after  B — K 2 ; 
6 Kt — B 3,  Castles;  7R — B i,  P — Q Kt  3;  8 PxP,  PxP; 
9 B — Q 3,  B — Kt  2,  all  the  pieces  have  found  rational  deve- 
lopment. 


Quite  a different  system  of  opening  ensues,  when  Black 
does  not  delay  pushing  the  P to  Q B 4 until  after  his  pieces 
are  developed,  but  makes  the  advance  on  his  third  move. 

Here  Black  has  the  advantage  of  being  able  to  avoid  the 
pinning  of  his  Knight  by  the  opposing  Q B. 

2.  P — Q B 4 P — K 3 

3.  Kt-Q  B 3 P-Q  B 4 

4.  Kt-B  3 Kt-Q  B 3 ! 

Now  Black  threatens  Q PxP  with  an  attack  on  White’s 
Queen’s  Pawn.  If  White  plays  P — K 3 we  get  the  position 
mentioned  in  connection  with  Diagram  35.  If  he  wishes  to 
bring  out  his  Q B first,  he  must  anticipate  Black’s  threat  by 
BPxP. 

After 

5.  B PxP  K PxP 

the  third  of  the  typical  main  positions  in  the  Queen’s  gambit 
ensues,  and  is  given  in  Diagram  39. 


THE  OPENING 


57 

iwo  continuations  must  now  be  considered.  White  can  either 
develop  his  K B at  Kt  2,  and  concentrate  on  the  Black  Q P, 
which  is  somewhat  weak,  or  he  can  place  the  K B on  one  of 
the  available  squares  between  B i and  R 6.  In  the  first 
instance,  the  K P need  not  be  played  at  all,  and  the  Q B 


Diag.  39. 


retains  the  option  of  developing  at  Kt  5,  B 4,  and  even  K 3. 
In  the  second,  where  the  K P must  make  room  for  the  K B, 
White  must  decide  at  once  between  B — B 4 or  Kt  5,  and  only 
B 4 can  be  seriously  considered  on  account  of 

6.  B— Kt  5 B— K 2 

7.  B X B Kt  X B 

which  only  furthers  Black’s  development.  White  would  only 
be  justified  in  this  course  if  he  could  now  win  a pawn  with 
8 PxP,  but  Black  would  win  it  back  and  have  the  superior 
game  after 

8 P-Q  5 

g.  Kt — K 4 Castles 

followed  by  B — B 4 and  Q — R 4 ch.  The  correct  move  in 
this  variation  is  consequently  6 B — B 4,  and  a possible 
continuation  would  be  : Kt — K B 3 ; 7 P — K 3,  B — K 3 ; 8 
R — Q B I or  B — Q Kt  5 or  B — Q 3. 

With  this  we  will  close  the  discussion  of  the  variations 
initiated  by  2 P — Q B 4,  P — K 3,  and  study  the  reply  2...P — 


58  CHESS  STRATEGY 

Q B 3.  The  first  question  which  arises  in  our  mind  is  : Which 
file  will  Black  be  able  to  utilise  for  his  Rooks  ? An  attempt 
to  free  the  King’s  file  through  P — K 4 is  conceivable.  But 
Wdiite  can  prevent  this  by  simply  playing  Kt — K B 3. 

There  remains  only  the  following  variation,  commonly  called 
the  “ Stonewall  Defence,”  which  leaves  a chance  for  Black’s 
Rook  to  act  on  the  K B file  and  eventually  on  the  K Kt  file. 

3.  Kt— K B 3 P— K 3 

4.  P— K 3 P— K B 4 

5.  Kt-K  5 Kt— B 3 


Diag,  40. 


The  development  of  pieces  can  now  become  quite  sym- 
metrical : 

6.  P— B 4 B— Q 3 

7-  B— Q 3 Q Kt— Q 2 

8.  Kt— Q 2 Kt— K 5 

Only  White  has  the  advantage  in  that  his  Q B can  take  up  a 
position  at  Kt  2.  where  it  protects  the  Kt  at  K 5 past  Q 4, 
whilst  Black’s  Q B is  completely  hemmed  in. 

At  the  outset,  also.  White  can  prevent  Black’s  Knight 
from  settling  on  his  K 5 by  maintaining  the  option  of  playing 
P— B 3 ; e.g.  6 P— Q Kt  3,  B— Q 3 ; 7 B— Q 3,  Castles  ; 
8 Castles,  Q Kt — Q 2 ; 9 B — Kt  2,  and  White  has  in  con- 
sequence by  far  the  greater  mobility. 

Of  course  the  “ Stonewall  ” can  also  be  played  by  White, 


THE  OPENING 


59 


who  is  then  a move  to  the  good  in  the  variation  just  shown. 
But  this  opening  has  practically  disappeared  from  modern 
tournament  games,  simply  because  the  Q B cannot  easily  be 
brought  into  play. 

The  following  variation  is  reminiscent  of  the  “ Stonewall  ” 
in  the  formation  of  the  centre  pawns.  White  develops  his 
Queen’s  side  iust  as  Black  did  in  the  opening  shown  in  con- 
nection with  Diagram  38. 


Kt— K B 3 
P— K 3 
B— Q 3 
P-Q  Kt  3 
B— Kt  2 
Q Kt-Q  2 
PxP 


P— Q B 4 
Kt-Q  B 3 
Kt— B 3 
P— K 3 

B-Q3 

PxP 

Castles 


Wliite  can  now  settle  his  Knight  at  K 5,  and  initiate  a violent 
King’s  side  attack  after  castling,  by  P — K B 4,  Q — B 3,  which 
could  be  continued  with  P — K Kt  4,  K — R i,  R — K Kt  i, 
and  so  on.  Once  the  position  in  Diagram  41  has  been  reached. 
Black’s  resources  against  the  dangerous  onslaught  of  the 
White  forces  are  scanty.  Yet  he  can  retaliate,  not  by  making 
the  simplest  and  most  obvious  developing  moves,  as  men- 
tioned before,  but  in  the  following  way  ; 

If  White  plays  5.  P — Q Kt  3 before  castling,  Black 
exchanges  pawns  and  checks  with  the  Queen.  Now  Wliite 
has  the  disagreeable  choice  between  B — Q 2 and  P — B 3. 


I 


6o 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


The  former  must  be  bad,  being  contrary  to  the  plan  of 
development  as  intended  by  P — Q Kt  3.  The  latter  blocks 
the  very  diagonal  on  which  the  Bishop  was  meant  to  operate. 
White  can  open  up  the  diagonal  by  playing  P — Q B 4 after 
castling,  nor  would  it  really  imply  the  loss  of  a move  to  have 
played  the  B P twice,  since  Black  must  move  his  Queen  again 
from  R 4,  where  she  has  no  future.  But  in  any  case  there 
remains  the  disadvantage  that  White  was  forced  to  play  the 
B P,  whilst  before  he  had  the  option  of  withholding  its  advance 
until  a more  opportune  moment. 

Another  possible  subtlety  in  Black’s  sequence  of  develop- 
ing moves  would  be  to  withhold  the  advance  of  his  K P until 
White  has  played  P — Q Kt  3,  and  then  to  play  the  Q B to 
Kt  5.  For,  as  I have  already  remarked,  the  objection  to 
developing  Black’s  Queen’s  Bishop  lies  in  White’s  threat  to 
attack  Black’s  Q Kt  P with  Q — Kt  3.  That  possibility 
disappears  after  P — Q Kt  3. 

Before  bringing  the  discussion  of  the  Queen’s  Pawn  opening 
to  a close,  I may  remark  that  in  tournaments  it  has  become 
usual  for  White  not  to  play  P — Q B 4 at  once,  but  to  play 
Kt — K B 3 as  a preliminary,  in  order  to  avoid  the  com- 
plications of  the  Queen’s  counter  gambit ; 2 P — Q B 4, 
P— K 4. 

If  White  plays  3 PxK  P,  Black’s  reply  is  P — Q 5,  and  the 
obvious  move  4 P — K 3 fails  on  account  of  the  following  pretty 
combination  : B — Kt  5 ch  ; 5 B — Q 2,  P x P ; 6 B x B, 
P X P ch  ; 7 K — K 2,  P X Kt  ch  ! ! ; 8 R x Kt,  B — Kt  5 ch,  etc. 

Instead  of  4 P — K 3,  White  should  play  P — K Kt  3 and 
develop  his  K B at  Kt  2.  Black  could  now  try  to  regain  his 
pawn  with  Kt — K 2 — Kt  3,  but  he  can  also  sacrifice  a pawn 
by  P — K B 3,  with  a view  to  rapid  development. 

It  now  only  remains  for  us  to  discover  whether  Black  has 
any  other  answer  to  P — Q 4 which  would  necessitate  close 
analysis  on  White’s  part. 

Here  must  be  mentioned  : i...Kt — K B 3,  I...P — Q B 4, 
and  I...P — K B 4.  The  former  move  prepares  P — Q 3,  fol- 
lowed by  P — K 4.  In  this  opening  there  is  no  reason  why 
White  should  play  P — Q B 4,  as  there  is  no  prospect  of  opening 
the  Q B file  for  the  Rooks.  Furthermore,  Black  has  relin- 
quished the  square  Q 4 and  made  K 4 the  basis  of  operations. 


THE  OPENING 


6i 


It  will  be  more  advisable  to  prevent  Black  from  playing 
P — K 4 as  far  as  this  can  be  achieved  in  conformity  with  a 
logical  development,  e.g.  i P — Q 4,  Kt — K B 3 ; 2 Kt — K B 3. 
Not  2 Kt — Q B 3,  because  Black  could  then  lead  into  the 
Queen’s  gambit  by  playing  P — Q 4 and  P — Q B 4,  after  which 
White  has  the  disadvantage  of  not  being  able  to  open  the 
Q B file.  2...P-Q  3 ; 3 B-B  4,  Q Kt-Q  2 ; 4 P-K  3- 
Now  Black  can  only  enforce  P — K 4 after  P — B 3 and  Q B 2. 
Meanwhile  White  mobilises  all  his  pieces,  whilst  Black’s  Q B 
remains  blocked  and  the  Kt  must  remain  at  Q 2 to  cover  the 
K P.  If,  on  the  other  hand.  Black  exchanges  pawns  in  order 
to  free  the  Knight,  there  is  no  Black  centre  left. 

With  regard  to  the  second  irregular  reply  to  i P — Q 4, 
namely,  i...P — Q B 4,  two  ways  are  open  to  White.  One  is 
to  turn  the  opening  into  an  ordinary  Queen’s  gambit  by  play- 
ing P — K 3,  on  which  Black  can  play  P — Q 4.  The  second  is 
to  play  2 P — Q 5.  Black  will  then  develop  his  King’s  side 
with  P — K Kt  3 and  B — Kt  2.  The  Bishop  is  well  posted 
here,  and  can  frequently  take  up  an  attacking  position  at  K 4 
or  Q 5.  (See  Game  No.  45,  Rubinstein  v.  Spielmann.) 

If  White  plays  2 P x P,  we  have  after  2...P — K 3 a Queen’s 
gambit  accepted  by  White,  and,  as  pointed  out  before,  this  line 
of  play  is  not  commendable. 

The  last  of  the  three  irregular  answers  mentioned  above  : 
I...P — K B 4 leads  to  two  entirely  different  plans,  according 
to  the  second  move  chosen  by  White. 

White  can  confine  himself  to  a simple  development  such  as  ; 
Kt— K B 3,  B— Kt  5,  P— K3,  Q Kt— Q 2 (Kt— B 3 would 
only  be  good  if  preceded  by  P — B 4,  because  Black  would 
again  lead  into  a Queen’s  gambit  with  P — Q 4 and  P — Q B 4). 
The  other  possibility  is  the  following  : in  view  of  the  fact  that 
I...P — K B 4 does  absolutely  nothing  to  aid  development. 
White  can  initiate  a violent  attack  by  giving  up  his  King’s 
Pawn  (P — K 4)  and  thus  accelerate  his  own  development.  The 
play  might  be  as  follows  : 2. . .P  x P ; 3 Kt — Q B 3,  Kt — K B 3 ; 

4 B — K Kt  5,  P — B 3 (P — Q 4 ? 5 B X Kt  followed  by  Q — R 5 ch) ; 

5 P — B 3.  If  Black  takes  the  pawn  he  lays  himself  open  to  an 
irresistible  assault.  It  seems  best  to  play  5...P — K 6,  which 
calls  back  the  White  Q B and  leaves  White’s  B P as  a hindrance 
to  the  development  of  the  K Kt. 


62 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


Irregular  Openings 

Many  openings  in  which  neither  P — K 4 nor  P — Q 4 is  the 
first  move  lead  to  well-known  positions  by  a simple  trans- 
position of  moves.  For  instance,  a Queen’s  gambit  may  well 
have  the  following  opening  moves  : i P — Q B 4,  Kt — K B 3 ; 
2 Kt-K  B 3,  P— K 3 ; 3 Kt-B  3,  P-B  4 ; 4 P— K 3, 
P — Q 4 ; 5 P — Q 4,  or  a French  defence  these  : i Kt — Q B 3, 
P-Q  4 ; 2 P-Q  4.  Kt-K  B 3 : 3 B-Kt  5,  P-K  3 : 
4 F-K  4. 

There  are,  of  course,  systems  of  opening  which  deviate 
absolutely  from  those  which  have  been  proved  sound  and  are 
in  general  use,  and  it  is  those  openings  that  puzzle  the  be- 
ginner most  of  all.  He  says  ; What  is  the  good  of  learning 
correct  openings,  if  my  opponent  plays  incorrectly  and  wins 
all  the  same  ? This  line  of  thought  is  wrong  from  its  incep- 
tion. The  student  is  not  supposed  to  “ learn  ” openings  by 
heart,  but  to  understand  how  the  general  principles  of  Chess 
Strategy  are  applied  to  any  opening.  Such  knowledge  can 
never  be  obtained  from  a tabulated  analysis,  but  can  only  be 
arrived  at  by  the  application  of  common  sense.  If  a player 
succeeds  in  winning  in  spite  of  an  inferior  opening,  it  only 
proves  that  subsequently  he  has  played  a stronger  game  than 
his  opponent,  who,  after  playing  the  opening  according  to 
the  book,  did  not  know  how  to  proceed  further.  And  herein 
lies  the  weakness,  and  not  in  the  absence  of  knowledge  of 
the  analysis  of  openings.  The  latter  is  rated  far  too  highly. 
Any  player  will  hold  his  own  in  the  opening,  as  soon  as  he  has 
grasped  the  real  meaning  of  those  principles  which  I cannot 
repeat  often  enough,  viz. : ist,  quick  development  of  pieces 
and  avoidance  of  lost  moves  ; 2nd,  the  maintenance  of  a pawn 
centre,  hampering  the  development  of  the  opposing  forces, 
and  the  avoidance  of  pawn  moves  that  do  not  contribute  to 
the  development  of  pieces. 

How  to  conduct  the  middle  game  and  end-game  is  not  en- 
tirely a matter  of  deduction  from  such  general  rules.  In  order 
to  play  the  end-game  correctly,  one  must  know  certain  things 
and  positions  which  arise  from  and  may  be  said  to  be  peculiar 
to  the  purely  arbitrary  rules  of  chess.  The  same  applies  to 


THE  END-GAME 


63 

the  middle  game,  as  in  most  cases  it  must  be  played  with  a view 
to  the  end-game  which  ensues,  unless  there  be  a chance  ol 
mating  the  opponent  before.  The  student  should  have, 
therefore,  a knowledge  of  the  end-game  before  he  can  hope  to 
be  able  to  conduct  the  middle  game  efficiently.  For  this  reason 
T have  decided  to  treat  of  the  end-game  first. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  END-GAME 

Just  as  it  is  difficult  to  state  the  exact  point  at  which 
an  opening  ends,  so  is  it  equally  difficult  to  say  where  the 
end-game  may  be  said  to  commence.  One  of  the  main  char- 
acteristics of  end-games  is  the  active  part  taken  by  the  King. 
Clearly  the  King  cannot  venture  out  into  the  field  of  operations 
until  there  has  been  an  exchange  of  the  majority  of  the  pieces, 
so  that  there  can  be  no  danger  of  his  being  mated.  As 
soon  as  a player  has  attained  some  advantage  in  material 
which  ensures  the  victory  in  the  end-game,  he  will  try  to  bring 
about  the  end-game  by  exchanging  pieces,  for  there  the  lines 
on  which  to  push  home  his  advantage  are  clearly  set  out. 

It  is  first  necessary  to  know  what  surplus  of  forces  is  the  mini- 
mum required  in  order  to  force  a mate.  The  positions  in  which 
the  mate  can  be  forced  may  be  shown  by  a few  typical  examples. 
But  I shall  lay  stress  mainly  on  one  point.  That  is  the  ability 
to  judge  whether  an  end-game  which  could  be  brought  about 
by  exchanges  is  won  or  not ; in  other  words,  whether  it  can 
be  reduced  to  one  of  the  typical  positions  referred  to  above. 

It  is  obvious  that  the  end-game  is  the  particular  demesne 
of  pawn  strategy.  Nearly  always  one  or  more  pawns  survive 
the  exchange  of  pieces,  and  the  knowledge  of  the  end-game 
will  be  invaluable  for  gauging  the  consequences  of  pawn  moves 
in  the  course  of  the  middle  game.  The  latter  represents  pro- 
bably the  most  difficult  aspect  of  the  strategy  of  chess. 

In  order  to  enable  beginners  to  grasp  the  following  chap- 
ters, I must  again  point  out  a few  elementary  considerations. 

Simple  end-games, that  is, end-games  without  pawns, arecom- 
paratively  easy  to  understand.  Let  us  first  consider  the  case 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


64 

of  a King  denuded  of  all  his  troops.  In  order  to  force  the  mate 
it  is  necessary  to  obtain  command  of  four  squares,  namely, 
those  four  squares  which  he  controls  after  he  has  been  driven 
into  a corner.  Supposing  the  Black  King  has  been  driven  to 
Q R I,  the  White  King  can  prevent  him  from  reaching  two 
squares  of  different  colour,  namely,  Q R 2 and  Q Kt  2.  There- 
fore it  is  necessary  for  White  still  to  have  such  forces  as  can 
command  two  more  squares  of  different  colour,  namely,  Q R i 
and  Q Kt  i.  As  can  readily  be  seen,  it  will  be  essential  to  have 
at  least  the  Queen  or  a Rook  or  two  Bishops,  or  a Knight  and 
Bishop,  or  two  Knights.^ 

We  shall  see  that  in  the  latter  case  it  is  impossible  to  drive 
the  King  into  a corner  without  bringing  about  a stalemate. 
The  mates  by  a Queen  or  Rook  are  so  simple  that  I only  give 
an  example  of  each  for  the  sake  of  completeness. 

Position  I — White  : K at  Q R i,  Q — K R i 
Black  ; K at  K 4 

I K— Kt  2,  K— Q 5 ; 2 K— Kt  3,  K— K4  ; 3 K— B 4, 
K-Q  3 ; 4 Q-K  4.  K-Q  2 ; 5 K-B  5,  K-B  i ; 6 K-B  6, 
K — Kt  I ; 7 Q — Q R 4,  or  Kt  4 ch,  or  K 7,  or  R 7 and  mate 
next  move. 

Position  2 — White  : K at  Q Kt  3,  R K R 2 
Black  ; K at  K 4 

I K— B 4,  K— Q 3 : 2 R— K 2,  K— B 3 ; 3 R— K 6 ch, 
K— Q 2 ; 4 K— Q 5,  K— B 2 ; 5 K— B 5,  K— Q 2 ; 6 R— K i, 

K— B 2 ; 7 R— K 7 ch,  K— Q i ; 8 K— Q 6,  K— B i ; 9 K— 

B 6,  K— Kt  I ; 10  R— K i,  K— R 7 ; ii  R— K 8,  K— R 3 ; 
12  R — R 8 mate. 

Position  3 — White  ; K at  Q R sq,  B at  K Kt  sq,  B at  K Kt  2 
Black  : K at  K R sq 

I K— Kt  2,  K— Kt  2 : 2 K— B 3,  K— B 3 ; 3 K— Q 4, 
K_K  3 ; 4 B— R 2,  K— B 3 ; 5 K— Q 5,  K— B 4 ; 6 B— K 5, 

K— Kt  4 ; 7 K— K 6,  K— Kt  5 ; 8 B— Q R 8,  K— Kt  4 ; 

9 B— B 3,  K— Kt  3 ; 10  B— K B 6,  K— R 3 ; ii  K— B 7, 
K— R 2 ; 12  B— Kt  5,  K— R i ; 13  B— Q i,  K— R 2 ; 14 
B — E 2 ch,  K — R I ; B — B 6 mate. 

^ How  the  King  can  be  driven  into  a corner  will  be  shown  subsequently. 


THE  END-GAME 


65 

It  is  more  difficult  to  mate  with  Knight  and  Bishop.  It 
is  only  possible  to  mate  on  a corner  square  commanded 
by  the  Bishop,  as  the  following  argument  shows  clearly.  A 
mating  position  in  the  corner  which  the  Bishop  does  not  com- 
mand would  have  to  be  of  the  type  set  out  in  Diagram  42. 
Here  the  Bishop  plays  on  White  squares,  and  the  Knight  in 
order  to  checkmate  must  move  on  to  a WTiite  square  ; in 
other  words,  he  must  come  from  a Black  one.  Therefore, 
when  the  Bishop  checked  on  the  previous  move  and  drove 
the  King  away,  the  King  had  the  option  of  two  black  squares, 
and  had  no  need  to  go  into  the  corner  one.  He  is  only 
mated  in  consequence  of  a wrong  move. 


As  stated  above,  however,  it  is  possible  in  all  cases  to 
mate  in  the  corner  square  which  is  of  the  same  colour  as 
the  Bishop.  The  King  is  driven  into  the  corner  in  this  way  : 
the  Knight  cuts  him  off  such  squares  as  the  Bishop  does  not 
command.  Diagram  43  will  serve  as  an  illustration. 

I K— Kt  2,  K— Kt  2 ; 2 K— B 3,  K— B 3 ; 3 K— 0 4, 
K-K  3 : 4 Kt-Kt  3,  K-B  3 ; 5 B-B  3,  K-Kt  4 ; 6 K-K5, 
K— Kt  3 : 7 Kt— K 4,  K— Kt  2 ; 8 K— B 5,  K— R i ; 
9 K— B 6,  K— Kt  I ; 10  Kt— Kt  5.  K— R i ; ii  Kt— B 7 ch, 
K — Kt  I : 12  B — K 4,  K — B I ; 13  B — R 7,  K — K i ; 14  Kt — 
K 5,  K— Q I ; 15  Kt— B 4,  K— B 2 ; 16  B— K 4,  K— Q 2 ; 
17  K— B 7,  K— B 2 ; 18  K— K 7,  K— B i ; 19  K— 0 6, 
K— Q i;  20  B— Kt  6,  K— B i;  21  Kt— R 5,  K— Q 1; 

E 


66 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


22  Kt — Kt  7 ch,  K — B I ; 23  K — B 6,  K — Kt  i ; 24  K — Kt  6, 
K — B I ; 25  B — B 5 ch,  K — Kt  i ; 26  Kt — B 5,  K — R i ; 
27  B— K 6,  K— Kt  I ; 28  Kt— R 6 ch,  K— R i ; 29  B— Q 5 
mate. 


It  is  impossible  to  force  a mate  with  the  King  and  two 
Knights.  On  the  same  grounds  as  given  with  respect  to  Diagram 
42,  the  mate  can  only  be  attained  through  the  opponent  making 
a bad  move.  But  a mate  can  be  forced  if  the  weaker  side  has  a 
spare  move  which  prevents  the  stalemate,  e.g.  Diagram  44. 


I Kt  (K  3)— Q 5,  K— Kt  2 ; 2 K— B 5,  K— R 3 ; 3 K— Kt  4, 
K— Kt  2 ; 4 K— Kt  5,  K— R 2 ; 5 Kt— B 7,  K— Kt  2 ; 
6 Kt  (B  7)— K 8,  K— R 2 ; 7 Kt— Q 6,  K— Kt  i ; 8 K— Kt  6. 


THE  END-GAME 


67 

K— R I ; 9 Kt— Q 7,  P— B 4 ; 10  Kt— Kt  5,  P— B ; 

ir  Kt — B 7 mate. 

Having  decided  as  to  the  smallest  amount  of  material 
advantage  with  which  it  is  possible  to  force  a mate,  we  will 
now  turn  our  attention  to  simple  game  endings  (still  without 
pawns).  To  judge  such  endings  correctly,  it  will  only  be 
necessary  to  find  out  whether  it  is  possible  to  obtain  the 
minimum  advantage  mentioned.  It  is  sufficient  to  discuss 
cases  in  which  a piece  on  the  one  side  plays  against  a stronger 
one  on  the  other,  because  in  endings  where  several  pieces  are 
left  on  either  side,  fortuitous  circumstances  are  generally  the 
deciding  factors,  and  it  would  be  impossible  to  characterise 
and  classify  positions  of  that  kind,  by  giving  typical  illustra- 
tions. Besides,  they  are  reduced  sooner  or  later  by  exchanges 
to  such  end-games  as  have  been  treated  already,  or  are  going 
to  be  shown  now. 

The  Queen  wins  against  any  other  piece ; the  Rook 
alone  may  give  trouble.  In  Diagram  45  we  illustrate  a 


position  which  is  one  of  the  most  favourable  to  the  weaker 
side. 

I Q — E 6 leads  to  nothing,  as  R — B 2 ch  follows,  and  after 
2 K — Kt  6 Black  forces  a stalemate  with  R — B 3 ch. 

It  is  necessary  for  White  to  gain  a move  in  this  position  j 
in  other  words,  VWiite  must  try  to  transfer  to  the  other  side  the 
onus  of  having  to  move.  If  then  the  Rook  moves  away  from 


68 


CHESS  STRATEGY 

the  King,  it  gets  lost  after  a few  checks,  or  if  Black’s  King  plays 
to  B I,  the  Rook  is  equally  lost  through  Q — R 6. 

White  plays  therefore  ; i Q — K 5 ch,  K — R i ; 2 Q — R i 
ch,  K — Kt  I ; 3 Q — R 5,  and  wins.  For  example,  3...R — B 2 ; 
4 Q— K 5 ch,  K— R 2 ; 5 Q-K  3 ch,  K—  Ri ; 6 Q-K  8 ch, 
and  so  on. 

The  Rook  can  win  against  a minor  piece  in  exceptional  cases 
only.  In  endings  of  Rook  against  Bishop  the  weaker  King 
must  take  refuge  in  a corner  square  of  different  colour  from 
that  of  his  Bishop.  For  instance.  Diagram  46  : 


I R — Q 5,  B — B 5 (or  R 2)  ; 2 R — Q 8 ch,  B — Kt  i,  and 
Black  is  stalemate  unless  the  Rook  leaves  the  eighth  Rank. 
Any  outside  square  which  is  not  of  the  same  colour  as  that 
of  the  Bishop  is  dangerous  for  the  King.  Imagine  the  pieces 
in  Diagram  46  shifted  two  squares  towards  the  centre  of  the 
board,  as  in  Diagram  47,  and  White  wins  with 

1.  R— Q Kt  5 B— R 5 

2.  R— Kt  8 ch  B— K I 

3.  R-R  8 

Tlie  Bishop  is  lost,  as  it  is  Black’s  move. 

In  endings  of  Rook  against  Knight,  the  weaker  side  loses, 
where  the  Knight  is  cut  off  from  his  King. 

For  instance,  in  Diagram  48,  i R— Q 5 ! In  this  " oblique 
opposition  ” the  Rook  takes  four  of  the  Knight’s  squares  : 
t...Kt~K  8 ; 2 K— B 5,  Kt— B 7 ; 3 K— K 4,  Kt— R 6 (Kt— 


THE  END-GAME 


69 

Kt  5 ? ; 4 R — Kt  5 ch  ! wins  the  Knight).  In  this  ending  there 
is  always  a fatal  check  at  some  point,  and  the  position  in  the 


Diag.  47. 

diagram  is  not  in  any  way  a chance  win.  4 K — Q 3,  K — B 2 ; 
5 R — Q R 5,  Kt — Kt  8 ; 6 R — R i,  and  wins. 


Diag.  48. 

As  soon  as  the  Knight  can  obtain  the  King’s  support  the 
game  is  drawn  even  when  the  King  is  already  forced  on  to 
the  edge  of  the  board. 

Position — White  : K at  K 6,  R at  K5 

Black  ; K at  K i,  Kt  at  Q R 2 

I R— Q B 5,  K—Q  I : 2 K— Q 6.  Kt-  B i ch  ; 3 K— B 6, 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


70 

Kt — K 2 ch,  draw.  In  this  case  the  King  must  avoid  the 
corners,  as  the  Knight  would  be  bereft  of  his  efficiency. 

Position — Wlrite  : K at  K R 6,  R at  K R 4 
Black  : K at  K R i,  Kt  at  K 2 

I R — K 4,  Kt — Kt  I ch  ; 2 K — Kt  6 and  wins. 


We  come  now  to  the  more  interesting  part  of  end-game 
play,  namely,  pawn  endings.  The  best  course  will  be  first  to 
study  how  to  turn  a material  superiority  in  pawns  to  decisive 
advantage,  after  which  we  shall  note  particular  positions,  in 
which  a win  is  possible  with  an  equality  or  even  an  inferiority 
in  pawns. 

The  ending  of  King  and  pawn  against  King  is  one  of  the 
simplest  albeit  one  of  the  most  important  of  elementary  cases. 
The  stronger  side  will  evidently  try  to  queen  the  pawn.  But 
generally  this  is  not  possible  if  the  adverse  King  has  command 
of  the  queening  square.  One  important  condition,  though, 
must  be  complied  with  : the  weaker  King  must  move  into 
“ opposition,”  and  “ opposition  ” is  one  of  the  characteristic 
and  deciding  factors  in  most  pawn  endings.  It  is  absolutely 
necessary  for  the  learner  to  understand  fully  the  meaning  of 
the  term  " opposition,”  and  its  value  in  elementary  cases. 
This  knowledge  is  of  far  reaching  influence  in  end-games. 


In  Diagram  49  White  seeks  to  queen  his  pawn. 
I K— Q 4,  K— K 2 ; 2 K— K 5 


THE  END-GAME 


71 

With  this  move  White  assumes  the  opposition.  That  is,  he 
moves  into  the  same  rank  or  file,  separated  by  one  square 
only,  so  that  both  Kings  stand  on  squares  of  the  same  colour. 
White  has  moved  last,  it  is  Black’s  turn  to  move  ; it  is  said 
in  this  case  that  “ White  has  the  opposition.”  We  shall  soon 
see  that  Black  is  only  able  to  draw  the  game,  if  he  succeeds 
in  assuming  the  opposition  himself  (which  means  that,  having 
the  move,  he  should  step  into  opposition).  2...K — Q 2 ; 3 P — 
Q 6 (Diagram  50). 


I propose  now  to  recapitulate. 

This  is  the  critical  moment,  namely,  when  the  pawn 
reaches  the  sixth  rank.  If  now  Black  plays  K — K i he  is 
lost,  for  White  playing  K — K 6 has  the  opposition.  After 
4...K — Q I,  5 P — Q 7,  Black  is  forced  to  allow  the  White  King 
to  move  to  K 7,  covering  the  queening  square;  5...K — B 2, 
6 K — K 7,  any  ; 7 P queens.  But  Black  has  a draw  in  the 
position  of  Diagram  50,  by  playing  3...K — Q i ! ! (not  K i). 
Now  after  4 K — K 6 he  keeps  the  opposition  himself  with 
K — K I ; and  after  5 P — Q 7 ch,  K — Q i ; 6 K — Q 6,  he  is 
stalemated,  or  else  wins  the  pawn  if  White  plays  differently 
on  his  sixth  move.  The  King  draws  against  King  and  pawn 
if  he  commands  the  queening  square,  and  if  he  can  retain  the 
opposition  on  the  first  rank  as  soon  as  the  pawn  moves  into 
his  sixth. 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the  pawn  should  be 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


72 

at  his  sixth  ; if  the  pawn  is  still  further  back,  the  opposition 
on  the  first  rank  is  of  no  avail. 

Diagram  51  will  serve  as  an  example.  Having  the  move, 


Diag.  51. 

White  would  only  draw  with  P — B 5,  because  Black’s  K — B 2 
wins  the  pawn. 

But  White  wins  as  follows  : i K — Kt  6,  K — B i ; 2 K — 
B 6.  K— K I : 3 K— K 6,  K— Q i ; 4 K— Q 6,  K— B sq : 


Diag.  52. 


5 P — B 5,  K — Q sq.  We  see : Black  has  just  assumed  the 
opposition,  but  the  pawn  has  not  yet  crossed  to  his  sixth 
square,  and  White,  by  playing  P — B 6,  again  forces  Black 
to  give  up  the  opposition. 


THE  END-GAME 


73 

It  might  be  more  clear  to  put  it  in  this  way  : with  P — B 6 
White  wins  the  opposition,  in  that  he  brings  about  a position 
with  Black  to  move.  Therefore  the  game  is  won  for  White. 
Since  the  opposition  on  the  outside  rank  is  of  no  avail,  when 
the  pawn  has  not  yet  played  to  his  sixth  square,  the  weaker 
side  must  try  to  keep  away  the  opposing  King  from  the  sixth 
rank  until  the  pawn  has  reached  that  rank.  This  is  possible 
in  positions  such  as  that  in  Diagram  53,  where  the  stronger 


King  is  not  more  than  one  rank  ahead  of  his  pavm,  and  the 
weaker  King  can  assume  the  opposition.  In  the  position  in 
Diagram  53  Black  plays  K — Q 4 and  maintains  the  opposition 
until  the  pawn  moves,  after  which  a typical  position,  similar 
to  the  one  treated  in  connection  with  Diagram  50  is  brought 
about. 

If  White  has  the  move,  however,  he  wins  easily  by  i 
K — B 4,  thus  : 


I K— Q 3 

2.  K — Kt  5 K — B 2 

3.  K— B 5 K— Kt  2 

4.  K— Q 6 K— B I 

5.  K— B 6 

and  there  is  opposition  on  the  eighth  rank  whilst  the  pawn  has 
not  reached  the  sixth. 


74 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


If  the  King  is  more  than  one  rank  ahead  of  his  pawn,  as 
in  Diagram  54,  the  end-game  can  always  be  won,  for  if  Black 


takes  the  opposition  with  K — Q 3,  White  deprives  him  of  it 
again,  winning  a move  by  P — B 3,  and  the  position  is  similar 
to  that  in  Diagram  53,  with  White  to  move. 

I K — Q 3 

2.  P — B 3 K — B 3 

3.  K — B 4 and  wins. 

This  settles  all  typical  end-games  of  King  and  pawn  against 
King.  There  is,  however,  one  exception  to  the  rules  set  out, 
namely,  when  a Rook’s  pawn  is  concerned.  Here  the  isolated 
King  always  succeeds  in  drawing  if  he  can  reach  the  comer 
where  the  pawn  has  to  queen,  for  he  cannot  be  driven  out 
again.  The  Rook’s  pawn  affords  another  opportunity  for  the 
weaker  side  to  draw.  Diagram  55  will  illustrate  this,  and 
similar  positions  are  of  frequent  occurrence  in  practice. 
Here  Black  draws  with  I...K — B 5.  As  he  threatens  to  cap- 
ture the  pawn.  White  must  play  2 P — R 4.  Then  after  the 
reply  K — B 4,  White  is  still  unable  to  cut  the  opponent  off 
from  the  corner  with  K — Kt  7,  as  the  loss  of  the  pawn  is 
still  threatened  through  K — Kt  5.  And  after  3 P — R 5 
Black  attains  the  position  which  is  typical  for  this  end-game, 
namely  the  opposition  against  the  King  on  the  Rook’s  file. 


THE  END-GAME 


75 

The  latter  cannot  escape  without  giving  up  the  contested 
comer,  and  the  game  is  drawn.  3...K — B 3;  4 K — R 7, 
K— B 2 ; 5 K— R 8,  K— B i ; 6 P— R 6,  K— B 2 ; 7 P— R 7, 
K — B I ; and  White  is  stalemated. 


Diag.  55. 


End-games  with  a majority  of  one  pawn,  when  both  sides 
still  have  pawns,  are  much  more  simple  to  manipulate. 

Such  games  result  in  positions  of  which  Diagram  56  is  a 


typical  instance.  Here  Wliite  does  not  even  need  to  Queen 
his  passed  pawn.  The  mere  threat  forces  the  win.  For  the 
pawn  at  Kt  4 reduces  the  mobility  of  the  Black  King,  in  so 


76 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


far  as  the  latter  must  at  all  times  be  ready  to  reach  the  queen- 
ing square  in  as  few  moves  as  the  pawn,  or  else  the  pawn 
would  queen  unmolested.  The  White  King  can  therefore 
capture  the  opposing  Bishop’s  pawn  in  peace  and  then  queen 
his  own. 

I K— K 4,  K— K 3 ; 2 P— Kt  5,  K— K 2 ; 3 K— K 5, 
K — B 2 ; 4 K — Q 6,  and  so  on  ; or  i...K^ — Kt  4 ; 2 K — K 5, 
KxP ; 3 K-Q  6,  K-B  4;  4 KxP.  K-K  3 ; 5 K-Kt  7, 
and  so  on. 

Such  positions  as  Diagram  56  are  also  reached  when  there  are 
several  pawns  on  each  wing.  The  stronger  side  exchanges 
pawns  on  the  wing  where  there  is  a majority  until  the  extra 
pawn  is  passed. 

The  winning  process  is  not  quite  so  simple  when  all  the 
pawns  are  on  the  same  wing,  because  exchanges  are  of  no  use 
unless  the  King  can  assume  the  opposition  in  front  of  the 
last  remaining  pawn  (compare  notes  to  Diagram  53). 

In  Diagram  57,  for  instance.  White  must  not  play  P — B 4. 
Therefore  he  can  only  win  by  gaining  the  Knight’s  Pawn, 


that  is,  by  bringing  his  King  to  B 5.  This  he  achieves  by 
forcing  the  Black  King  to  relinquish  the  opposition  with 
I P— B 3- 

I...K— B 3 ; 2 K— K 5,  K— Kt  2 ; 3 K— Q 6.  K— Kt  3 ; 
4 K— Q 5,  K— Kt  2 ; 5 K— B 5,  K— R 3 ; 6 K— B 6,  and 
wins,  as  Black  must  abandon  the  pawn. 


THE  END-GAME 


77 

This  position,  being  of  frequent  occurrence,  is  most  impor- 
tant, and  I recommend  it  as  a valuable  study  in  the  use  of 
the  opposition. 

Before  I discuss  positions  of  greater  complexity,  in  which 
the  only  way  to  win  is  by  sacrificing  the  extra  pawn,  I shall 
treat  of  end-games  in  which  positional  advantages  ensure 
the  victory  although  the  pawns  are  equal.  Here  we  shall 
find  simple  cases  in  which  pawn  manoeuvres  bring  about  the 
win,  and  more  intricate  ones  in  which  King  moves  are  the 
deciding  factor. 

Of  the  former  the  most  important  type  is  the  end-game 
with  the  “ distant  passed  pawn.”  A typical  example  is  the 
position  in  Diagram  58,  in  which  Black  wins. 


The  King’s  moves  are  outlined  by  the  necessity  of  captur- 
ing the  opposing  passed  pawn,  after  which  the  Black  King  is 
two  files  nearer  the  battle-field  (the  Queen’s  side),  so  that  the 
Wdiite  pawns  must  fall. 

I K— Kt  2,  K— Kt  2 ; 2 K— Kt  3,  K— B 3 ; 3 K— Kt  4, 
K— K 4 ; 4 P— B 4 ch,  K— B 3 ; 5 K— Kt  3,  P— R 4;  6 K— 
R 4>  R — R 41  S K — Kt  6,  K — K 4,  and  so  on. 

For  similar  reasons  the  position  in  Diagram  59  is  lost  for 
Black.  Wlrite  obtains  a passed  pawn  on  the  opposite  wing 
to  that  of  the  King.  He  forces  the  Black  King  to  abandon 
his  King’s  side  pawns,  and  these  are  lost.  I give  the  moves 
in  full,  because  this  is  another  important  example  character- 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


78 

istic  of  the  ever  recurring  necessity  of  applying  our  arithmetical 
rule.  By  simply  enumerating  the  moves  necessary  for  either 
player  to  queen  his  pawn — separately  for  White  and  Black — 
we  can  see  the  result  of  our  intended  manoeuvres,  however  far 
ahead  we  have  to  extend  our  calculations. 

I P— R 4,  K— K 3 ; 2 P— R 5,  P xP  ; 3 P xP,  K— Q 3 

Now  the  following  calculations  show  that  Black  is  lost. 
White  needs  ten  moves  in  order  to  queen  on  the  King’s  side, 
namely,  five  to  capture  the  Black  King’s  side  pawns  (K — K 4, 
B 5,  Kt  6,  R 6,  Kt  5),  one  to  free  the  way  for  his  pawn, 
and  four  moves  with  the  pawn.  After  ten  moves,  Black  only 


Diag.  59. 


gets  his  pawn  to  B 6.  He  requires  six  moves  to  capture 
the  White  Queen’s  side  pawns,  one  to  make  room  for  his  pawn 
at  B 3,  and  after  three  moves  the  pawn  only  gets  to  B 6.  ViTiite 
then  wins  by  means  of  many  checks,  forcing  the  Black  King 
to  block  the  way  of  his  own  pawn,  thus  gaining  time  for  his 
King  to  approach.  As  we  shall  see  later  on  (p.  97),  if  the 
pa\vn  had  already  reached  B 7,  whilst  under  protection  by  his 
K,  the  game  would  be  drawn. 

It  is  necessary  to  make  it  a rule  to  examine  positions  in 
which  each  side  has  a passed  pawn,  by  counting  the  moves 
in  the  way  first  shown.  It  is  just  because  end-games  can  be 
calculated  ^"0  a nicety,  there  being  no  moves  of  which  the 


THE  END-GAME 


79 

consequences  cannot  be  foreseen,  that  we  note  in  contemporary 
master  play  a tendency  to  simplify  the  middle-game  by 
exchanging  pieces,  as  soon  as  there  is  an  infinitesimal  advan- 
tage in  the  pawn  position  (compare  the  game  Charousek- 
Heinrichsen,  p.  io8). 

We  will  now  turn  our  attention  to  positions  in  which  the 
pawns  opposed  on  each  wing  are  of  equal  number  and  no. 
passed  pawn  can  be  forced  through.  Everything  depends  on 
the  relative  position  of  the  Kings.  The  deciding  factor  in 
valuing  the  King’s  position  is  whether  pawn  moves  are  possible, 
or  whether  they  are  already  entirely  or  nearly  exhausted,  so 
that  only  manoeuvres  by  the  King  are  possible.  The  follow- 
ing illustrations  make  the  position  clear.  We  shall  see  that 
the  importance  of  getting  the  opposition  is  paramount. 
Diagram  6o  shows  a simple  instance  in  which  there  are  no 


Diag.  6o. 


more  pawn  moves.  Whoever  has  the  move  wins  by  assuming 
the  opposition.  The  opposing  King  must  then  give  the  way 
free  to  one  of  the  pawns. 

The  state  of  affairs  in  Diagram  6i  is  similar  to  that  in 
Diagram  6o.  Having  the  move.  White  plays  into  opposition 
and  forces  his  way  to  Q 5,  after  which  Black’s  Bishop’s  pawn  is 
lost. 

I K-K  4,  K-Q  3 ; 2 K-B  5.  K-Q  2 ; 3 K-K  5,  K-B3  ; 
4 K — K 6,  K — B 2 ; 5 K — Q 5,  K — Kt  3 ; 6 K — Q 6,  and  so 
on  (compare  Diagram  57).  If  Black  has  the  move  he  can  only 


8o 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


draw,  because  the  White  Bishop’s  pawn  is  covered  even  though 
Black  gains  the  square  at  Q 5. 


I...K — K 4 ; 2 K — Q 3,  K — B 5 ; 3 K — Q 2 ! ! and  what- 
ever Black  plays  White  wins  the  opposition,  so  that  the  Black 
King’s  ingress  is  stopped  ; 2 K — K 2 loses  the  game  because 
of  3...K— K 5;  4 K— Q 2,  K— Q 5 ; 5 K— B 2,  K— K 6; 
6 K— B 1,  K— Q 6 : 7 K— Kt  2,  K— Q 7 ; 8 K— Kt  i,  K— B 6 ; 
9 K — R 2,  K — B 7,  and  wins. 


Diag.  61. 


I shall  take  this  opportunity  of  explaining  what  is  called 
" distant  opposition.”  In  Diagram  62,  White  with  the  move 
wins  by  i K — K 2,  thus  assuming  ” distant  opposition  ” 
(squares  of  the  same  colour ! !).  If  Black  now  enters  his 
second  rank.  White  immediately  plays  into  opposition  on 
his  third  rank,  e.g.  i. . .K — Q 2 ; 2 K — Q 3,  and  stiU  main- 
tains it  by  3.  K — K 3 if  Black  plays  a waiting  move  such  as 

2.. .K — K 2.  Now  Black  has  no  further  waiting  moves,  as 
White  threatens  to  capture  one  of  the  pawns.  But  playing 
into  the  third  rank  is  of  no  use,  as  White  then  assumes  the  direct 
opposition,  and  wins  as  in  Diagram  60.  Black  must  allow 
White  access  to  one  side  or  the  other.  He  could  not  have 
remained  on  the  first  rank  at  the  outset  either,  for  after 

1.. .K — Q I,  White  advances  through  a square,  to  which 
Black  cannot  assume  the  opposition,  namely,  2 K — B 3.  If 
now  Black  wishes  to  answer  the  threat  of  K — B 4 — Kt  5 and 
plays  K — K 2,  White  answers  3.  K — K 3 as  before. 


THE  END-GAME 


8] 


2.  K — K 3 or  K Q 3 would  be  wrong,  as  Black  would  then 
succeed  in  assuming  the  opposition  at  K 2 or  Q 2,  and  would 
be  able  to  maintain  it.  W^ite  would  be  unable  to  circumvent 
this  or  to  attack  the  pawns. 


In  this  position,  too,  there  is  ample  scope  for  the  study  of 
the  opposition. 

If  the  pawns  are  still  standing  behind,  the  King' who  has 
the  most  advanced  position  has  always  the  advantage,  be- 
cause he  threatens  to  attack  the  opposing  pawns  should  they 
leave  their  base.  White  has  more  pawn  moves  at  his  disposal, 
and  will  nearly  always  succeed  in  assuming  the  opposition. 
For  instance,  in  Diagram  63,  White,  having  the  move,  wins 
because  his  King  gets  first  into  the  centre  of  the  board. 

I K— K 3,  K— Q 2 ; 2 K— B 4,  K— K 2 ; 3 K— Kt  5, 
K— B 2 ; 4 K— R 6,  K— Kt  i ; 5 P— K B 4,  K— R i ; 6 P— B 5, 
PxP  ; 7 K — Kt  5,  K — Kt  2 ; 8 KxP,  K — B 2.  Black  has 
now  the  opposition  but  cannot  maintain  it,  having  no  pawn 
moves  available.  The  White  King  threatens  to  capture  any 
pawn  that  ventures  forward. 

9 K— K 5,  K— K 2 : 10  K— Q 5,  K— Q 2 ; 11  P— B 4, 
P — B 3 ch  ; 12  K — K 5,  K — K 2 ; 13  P — B 5,  and  wins,  as 
Black  will  soon  be  compelled  to  play  K — Q 2,  after  which  a 
manoeuvre  shown  previously  gives  White  the  Queen’s  Bishop’s 
pawn. 

13...P— K R 4:  14  P— K R 4,  P— R 4;  15  P-R  4 I 
K — Q 2 ; 16  K — B 6,  K— O i : 17  K — K 6,  and  so  on. 

F 


82 


CHESS  STRATEGY 

If  in  Diagram  63  the  King  stood  at  Q 2 instead  of  B i,  he 
could  just  manage  to  draw.  White  takes  eleven  moves  to 
capture  the  Black  King’s  side  pawns,  and  to  queen  one  of 


Diag.  63. 


his  own,  as  can  be  easily  seen.  In  eleven  moves  Black 
captures  the  opposing  Q B P and  queens  his  own.  We  see 
here  how  the  King’s  position  can  be  counterbalanced  by  the 
weakness  of  a pawn,  and  lead  to  a draw.  If  the  White 
Q B P was  not  isolated  but  standing,  for  instance,  at  Q Kt  2, 
Black  would  be  lost,  as  calculation  easily  shows. 

The  strength  or  weakness  of  a pawn  position,  which,  as  we 
saw,  had  so  deciding  an  influence  in  the  end-game  position 
just  treated,  is  one  of  the  most  important  factors  in  a game 
of  chess,  and  should  have  full  consideration  in  the  middle 
game.  A pawn,  when  isolated,  is  naturally  weaker  than  when 
it  is  or  can  be  protected  by  another.  It  may  easily  lead  to 
the  loss  of  a game,  as  the  mobility  of  the  King  or  a piece  is 
reduced  by  having  to  protect  the  pawn  (compare  End-game, 
p.  102). 

It  is  frequently  and  erroneously  thought  that  doubled 
pawns  as  such  are  a weakness.  Doubled  pawns  are  weak 
when  isolated,  for  they  cannot  support  each  other.  But  if 
doubled  pawns  can  be  supported  by  a pawn  on  the  next  file 
they  need  not  by  any  means  be  at  a disadvantage  against  three 
united  single  pawns  on  the  opposite  side.  For  instance,  in 
Diagram  64,  if  Black  had  a pawn  at  Q Kt  3 instead  of  R 2, 


THE  END-GAME 


White  would  have  no  winning  chances.  He  could  not  attack 
the  pawns,  nor  would  any  kind  of  manoeuvres  force  a passed 
pawn  through.  In  the  diagram,  however.  White  wins  through 


I K — B 5 ; Black  cannot  then  hold  the  pavm  at  B 3.  i. . .P — 
R 3 ; 2 P— Kt  4. 

In  this  particular  case  the  win  is  made  easy  by  the  fact 
that  the  White  King  is  able  to  attack  the  Black  pawn  at 
once.  But  even  without  this  advantage,  the  weakness  of 


doubled  pawns  usually  entails  the  loss  of  the  game.  Diagram 
65  may  serve  as  an  example. 

I K — Q 4,  P — B 4 ch  ; 2 K — B 4,  K — B 3 ; 3 P — B 3 

K — Kt  3 ; 4 K — Q 5,  P — B 3 ch  ; 5 K — B 4,  and  wins. 


84 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


Doubled  pawns  are  a drawback,  even  when  not  isolated, 
should  there  be  no  way  of  obtaining  a passed  pawn  by  ex- 
changing them  against  a smaller  number  of  single  pawns. 
This  is  illustrated  in  Diagram  66,  in  which  Black  wins  because 
the  three  pawns  on  the  King’s  side  hold  up  the  four  White  pawns 
and  the  Black  King  can  assail  the  Wliite  pawns  from  the  rear, 


the  White  King  being  fettered  by  the  necessity  of  capturing 
the  Q B P.  The  proper  formation  for  the  Black  pawns  would 
be  at  B 3,  Kt  2,  R 3,  after  which  White  cannot  force  a pawn 
through  by  playing  P — B 4 and  P — Kt  5,  as  Black  can  refrain 
from  making  any  exchange.  Black  could  not  afford  to  leave 
the  pavms  where  they  are,  because  even  if  there  were  no  White 
pawn  at  B 2,  ’Wdiite  would,  by  playing  P — Kt  5,  threaten  to 
win  in  the  following  way  : 

I P — Kt  6,  B PxP  : 2 P — R 6,  and  P — B 6,  etc.  ; or  i... 
R P X P ; 2 P — B 6,  with  P — R 6,  etc.  In  a game  Ed.  Lasker- 
Moll  (Berlin  championship,  1904),  from  which  the  position  is 
taken,  Black  played  P — R 3 in  order  to  obtain  the  formation 
mentioned  above,  and  White  resigned  after  2 P — B 4 ? P — B 3, 
P — Kt  3,  K — Q 5.  There  was,  however,  a pretty  win  after 
Black’s  P — R 3,  namely  : 2 P — B 6,  P x P ; 3 P — B 4,  K — Q 5 ; 
4 P— Kt  5,  B PxP;  5 PxP,  K— K 4:  6 PxP,  K— B 6; 
7 K — B 2 and  Black  is  lost,  because  his  own  pawn  obstructs 
the  square  B 2,  and  the  King  must  release  the  square  Kt  2, 
after  which  the  White  pawn  queens. 


THE  END-GAME 


85 

This  wanning  combination,  however,  is  only  an  interesting 
exception  to  the  rule  that  positions  of  this  kind  are  generally 
won  by  the  side  which  possesses  the  passed  pawn.  In  this 
particular  case  Black  could  have  made  the  position  secure  by 
obtaining  the  ideal  position  of  B 3 Kt  2 R 3 for  his  pawns 
earlier,  before  the  White  pawns  could  advance  so  far.  In 
the  position  of  Diagram  66  Black  could  still  have  won  by 
playing  P — B 3.  After  2 P — R 6,  P xP  ; 3 P — B 4,  K — Q 4 ; 
the  Black  King  has  time  to  overtake  the  passed  pawn  which 
results  on  the  Bishop’s  file. 

To  conclude  the  study  of  pawn  endings  with  an  equal 
number  of  pawns  on  either  side,  we  will  discuss  Diagram  67, 


which  illustrates  a curious  position  occurring  from  time  to 
time  in  practice.  Whoever  has  the  move  wins  by  moving 
into  distant  opposition.  Wdiite,  therefore,  should  play  K — K 5, 
K — Q 5 would  lose,  as  Black  would  play  K — Kt  5,  protecting 
his  pawn  and  attacking  the  White  pawn,  the  protection  of 
which  White  has  to  give  up  next  move.  In  the  same  way 
Black  with  the  move  cannot  play  K — Kt  5 because  White 
wins  the  pawn  with  K — Q 5.  After  i K — K 5 Black  cannot 
avoid  the  loss  of  the  game,  e.g.  K — R 3 ; 2 K — Q 5,  K — Kt  3 ; 
3 K — Q 6,  and  so  on.  Black  with  the  move  wins  similarly 
with  K— R 5. 

We  have  still  to  consider  end-games  in  which  a draw 
results  in  spite  of  a majority  of  pawns,  or  where  a win  can 
only  be  achieved  by  the  sacrifice  of  an  extra  pawn. 


86 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


Diagram  68  shows  the  latter  case.  Here  White  can  only 
win  in  the  following  manner  : i P — Kt  4 ch,  P x P ch  ; 2 K — 
Kt  3,  K any  ; 3 K xP,  and  wins.  Any  other  way  would  allow 


Diag.  68. 

Black  to  assume  the  opposition  and  to  force  the  draw,  e.g. 
I K-B  2,  K— B 3 ! 2 K-Q  3,  K— Q 4,  etc. 

Not  I K— B 2.  K— Kt  5 ? 2 K— Kt  2.  K— B 4,  3 K— B 3. 
etc.,  as  in  Diagram  57. 


Diag.  69. 


A counterpart  to  this  position  is  found  in  Diagram  69, 
which  shows  one  of  the  few  cases  in  which  the  possession  of 
an  extra  pawn  does  not  force  a win.  It  seems  at  first  sight 
as  if  White  could  win  by  simply  assuming  the  opposition  with 


THE  END-GAME 


87 

I K — K 4 continued  : . . .K — K 2 ; 2 K — Q 5,  K — Q 2 ; 3 P — B 5, 
K — K 2 ; 4 K — B 6,  etc.  But  Black  would  reply  i. . .P — 
B 4 ch ! and  after  2 P X P ch,  K — B 3 followed  by  K x P 
ensure  the  draw. 


We  come  now  to  those  end-games  in  which  pieces  as  well 
as  pawns  are  left  on  the  board. 

As  it  is  my  aim  to  give  typical  examples,  I shall  confine 
myself  to  positions  where  there  is  only  one  piece  besides  the 
King.  Most  end-games  with  several  pieces  can  be  reduced 
to  that. 

In  nearly  all  end-games  with  pieces  the  King’s  manoeuvres 
used  in  pawn  endings  are  of  no  avail,  as  far  as  opposition  is 
concerned,  as  the  advantage  of  opposition  means  that  the 
opponent  is  forced  to  move  his  King,  and  as  long  as  there 
are  pieces  on  the  board,  such  “ forced  move  ” positions  are 
infrequent.  However,  the  strength  of  the  pawn  position  is  of 
the  same  importance  as  in  pawn  endings,  just  as  the  command 
of  as  many  squares  as  possible  is  essential  for  the  King.  A 
third  and  very  important  factor  is  again  the  mobility  of  pieces. 

A good  example  is  found  in  Diagram  70,  a position  from  a 
game  Post-Leonhardt  (Berlin  Jubilee  Tournament,  1907). 


Black’s  pawn  position  is  weaker,  because  the  White  pawns, 
being  on  Black  squares,  cannot  be  attacked  by  the  Bishop, 
whilst  Black  has  two  isolated  pawns  on  Wdiite  squares. 
Furthermore  the  Black  Bishop  has  less  mobihty  than  the 


88 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


\Vliite  one,  and  finally  the  Black  King  is  tied  to  his  Q 3,  to 
prevent  White’s  entry  at  B 5 or  K 5.  These  drawbacks 
decide  the  issue.  I...B — R 2 ; 2 P — R 4,  B — Kt  3 ; 3 B — B 2, 
P — R 4.  (After  B — R 2 White  would  command  the  square  at 
Kt  6 through  P — R 5)  ; 4 B — Q 3,  B — R 2 ; 5 B — B i,  and 
Black  resigns,  for  White  threatens  to  establish  his  Bishop  at 
B 3,  where  the  pawns  at  Q 5 and  R 5 are  both  attacked, 
whilst  the  Black  Bishop  is  at  once  forced  to  occupy  the  only 
square  from  which  both  pawns  are  covered,  namely  B 2.  As 
this  square  must  be  abandoned  in  the  next  move.  Black  loses  a 
pawn  and  the  game. 

5...B — Kt  I ; 6 B — K 2,  B — B 2;  7 B — B 3,  and  wins,  or 

5...B — Kt  3 ; 6 B — Kt  2,  B — B 2 ; 7 B — B 3,  and  wins. 

A corresponding  instance  of  Knight  v.  Bishop  is  the  end- 
game Blackburne-Schlechter  (p.  102). 

It  is  difficult  to  gauge  the  relative  value  of  Bishop  and 
Knight  in  the  end-game.  The  Knight  has  the  advantage  of 
access  to  all  squares  ; against  that  the  Bishop  is  able  to  fight 
at  long  range,  and  offers  opportunities  of  gaining  moves 
in  certain  positions  where  there  is  a “ forced  move  ” (com- 
pare p.  90). 

As  already  stated,  two  Bishops  are  superior  to  two  Knights 
because  the  limitation  of  the  colour  of  squares  ceases,  A Rook 
generally  wins  against  a Bishop  or  a Knight,  sometimes  even 
against  a majority  of  one  or  two  pawns,  provided,  of  course, 
that  there  are  still  pawns  on  the  Rook’s  side,  and  that  their  ex- 
change cannot  be  forced.  The  following  position  (Diagram  71), 
from  a game  Moll-Post,  shows  how  to  proceed  in  such  cases. 

Here  WTite  can  force  a win  in  the  following  way  ; 

I R X P,  P — Kt  6 ; 2 R — R 6,  P x P ; 3 R x P,  K — B 2 ; 
4 R— B 2,  B— Kt  5 ; 5 R— B 4,  B— R 4 ; 6 P— B 4 ! The 
Black  pawn  position  must  first  be  torn  up,  if  it  is  to  be  attacked 
successfully. 

Now  Black’s  defeat  is  inevitable,  whether  the  pawm  is 
taken  or  not.  The  sequel  would  be  6...PxP  ; 7 RxP,  after 
which  the  Rook  goes  to  K R 5 and  the  Rook’s  pawn  must 
fall,  or  : 6. . .K — Kt  3;  7PXP,  PxP‘  8 R — B 6 ch,  K — Kt  2 ; 
9 R — B 5,  and  the  Bishop’s  pawn  is  lost,  unless  Black  gives 
up  his  passed  pawn.  In  this  case  Black  loses  also  : 9 R — B 5, 
B — Q I ; 10  K X P.  K — Kt  3 ; ii  K — Q 3,  B — B 3 ; 12  R— B 6, 


THE  END-GAME 


89 

K — Kt  2 ; 13  K — K 4,  K — Kt  3 ; 14  R — R 6,  K — B 2 ; 
15  K — B 5,  B — Q I ; 16  R — K Kt  6,  followed  by  R x P,  etc. 

The  Queen  against  a minor  piece  wins  so  easily  that  it  is  not 
necessary  to  give  an  example.  It  only  remains  to  discuss  end- 


Diag.  71. 

games  of  Queen  v.  Queen,  Rook  v.  Rook,  and  minor  piece  v.  minor 
piece,  in  which  one  player  has  a majority  of  pawns,  or  an  equal 
number  of  pawns,  one  of  which  is  passed.  As  a rule  the  extra 


pawn  leads  to  a win.  There  are,  however,  exceptions  frequently 
recurring  in  practice  to  which  I must  refer  specially. 

Diagram  72  shows  an  end-game  with  a Rook’s  pawn  and  a 
Bishop  “ of  the  wrong  colour.” 


90 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


White  draws  with  i Kt — Q 2,  P — B 7 ; 2 Kt — K 4 ch, 
K — Kt  713  Kt  X P,  and  draws,  as  Black,  in  order  to  capture 
the  White  pawn,  after  K X Kt  must  give  the  White  King  access 
to  the  Rook’s  square,  from  which  he  could  not  be  dislodged 
except  by  a Bishop  on  White  squares. 

In  Diagram  73  White  cannot  win  although  his  Bishop  is  of 
the  " right  colour  ” by  i P — B 7,  Kt  xP ; 2 B x Kt,  and  White 
cannot  win  the  Rook’s  pawn.  He  can  only  attack  the  pawn 
from  Kt  7 or  Kt  8,  both  of  which  are  inaccessible  as  the  Black 
King  gets  to  Kt  i.  It  is  a stalemate  position.  If  the  White 


Diag.  73. 


pawn  were  still  at  R 5,  White’s  King  could  attack  the  pawn 
from  R 6 and  secure  the  win. 

In  the  position  given.  White  could  only  win , by  keeping 
his  passed  pawn,  and  indeed  it  is  possible  to  win  by  gaining 
a move  with  the  Bishop.  In  the  diagram  it  is  White’s  move. 
Black  with  the  move  could  not  play  K — B 2 because  K — Q 6 
would  follow.  The  Knight  would  have  to  move,  allowing  the 
pawn  to  queen.  Therefore  White  must  try  to  bring  about  the 
same  position  with  Black  to  move.  He  can  do  this,  for  instance, 
in  the  following  way  : 

I B — Kt  3,  K — B 2 fnow  2 K — Q 6 would  be  bad  on  account 
of  Kt — Q 5,  3 P — B 7,  Kt — Kt  5 ch,  and  Kt  X P) ; 2 B — R 2, 
K — K 2 ; 3 B — K 5.  Now  White’s  plan  has  succeeded ; the 


THE  END-GAME 


91 

same  position  has  occurred,  and  it  is  Black’s  move.  As  men- 
tioned before,  the  King  must  not  move,  but  Knight’s  moves 
are  of  no  avail.  If  3...Kt — Kt  4 ; 4 B — B 6 ch,  the  Knight 
is  lost,  or  alternatively  the  pawn  queens.  On  3...Kt — B i, 
B — Q 6 ch  decides,  and  on  3. . .Kt — Q i ; 4 B — B 6 ch,  K — Ki  ; 
5 B X Kt  would  follow. 

On  this  occasion  I should  like  to  point  out  that  it  is  im- 
possible to  gain  a move  with  a Knight,  as  a square  which  is 
accessible  to  him  in  an  odd  number  of  moves  cannot  be 
reached  by  him  in  an  even  number.  A simple  instance  is 
Diagram  74. 


White  loses,  having  the  move,  i K — R 8,  Kt — K 4; 
2 K — R 2,  Kt — Q 2 ; 3 K — R 8,  Kt — B i ; 4 P — R 7,  Kt — 
Kt  3 mate. 

Black  with  the  move  cannot  win,  as  he  cannot  bring  about 
the  same  position  with  White  to  move. 

In  end-games  of  Bishop  v.  Bishop,  of  which  we  have  already 
had  an  example  in  Diagram  70,  an  extra  pawn  wins  in  most 
cases  if  the  Bishops  are  of  the  same  colour.  It  is  generally 
possible  to  force  an  exchange  of  Bishops  and  obtain  one  of  the 
well-known  pawn  endings. 

On  the  other  hand  an  ending  with  Bishops  of  different 
colour  leads  mostly  to  a draw,  frequently  even  against  a 
majority  of  two  pawns.  The  position  in  Diagram  75  is  a draw. 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


92 

because  it  is  impossible  for  the  White  King  to  get  round  his 
Kt  pawn  to  drive  off  the  Bishop. 


Diag.  75. 


With  two  passed  pawns  distant  from  each  other,  a wm  can 
generally  be  forced,  as  in  the  foUlowing  position  (Diagram  76). 


Diag.  76 


The  King  moves  up  to  the  pawn,  the  progress  of  which  is  barred 
by  the  Bishop  (not  the  King).  He  thereby  forces  the  sacrifice 
of  the  Bishop.  If  the  Black  King  comes  to  the  rescue  of  the 
Bishop,  the  other  pavm  proves  Black’s  downfall. 


THE  END-GAME 


93 

I K— K 4,  K— K 2 ; 2 K— Q 5,  K— Q 2 ; 3 B— K 4,  B— K 2 ; 
4 P — Kt  6,  B — Q 1 : 5 P — Kt  7,  K — B 2 ; 6 K — K 6,  and 
wins  ; or  5. , .B — B 2 ; 6 P — B 6,  B — R 7 ; 6 B — B 2,  K — K i ; 
8 K— K 6,  B— Kt  I ; 9 B— Kt  6 ch,  K— B i ; 10  K— Q 7. 
and  wins. 

When  the  pawns  are  united,  one  should  observe  this  rule  ; if 
they  are  attacked,  they  should,  if  possible,  move  to  squares  of 
the  colour  of  the  opposing  Bishop. 

Therefore  in  the  position  set  out  in  Diagram  77  White 
should  not  play  P — B 5,  but  P — K 5.  After  i P — B 5 there  is 
no  possible  chance  for  White  to  assume  the  command  of  the 
Black  squares,  and  in  order  to  advance  the  pawns  it  is  neces- 


sary to  force  access  to  both  White  and  Black  squares.  In 
the  present  instance  play  would  proceed  on  these  lines : 

I P— K 5,  B— R 4 : 2 K— K 3,  K— B 2 ; 3 K— K 4,  K— 
K 2 : 4 P— B 5.  B— Kt  5 : 5 P— B 6 ch,  K— B i ; 6 P— K 6, 
B — R 6 ; 7 B— R 4,  B — Kt  5.  White  can  only  get  through 
with  the  King’s  Pawn,  as  P — B 7 is  unavailing  on  the  grounds 
set  out  above.  But  in  order  to  play  P — K 7,  the  square  K 7 
must  first  be  covered  a second  time,  so  that  the  Bishop  can- 
not be  given  up  for  the  two  pawns.  Therefore  ; 8 K — Q 5, 
B— R 6 (B— B 6 ; P— K 7 ch) ; 9 K— B 6,  K— K i ; 10 
K — B 7 ch,  K — B I ; 11  K — Q 7,  and  wins. 

In  end-games  wdth  one  Knight  on  each  side,  an  extra 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


94 

pawn  usually  decides  the  game  much  in  the  same  way  as  in 
end-games  with  Bishops  of  the  same  colour ; frequently  even 
with  equal  pawns,  the  possession  of  a passed  pawn  is  sufficient, 
as  it  keeps  either  the  King  or  the  Knight  busy,  so  that  there 
is  only  one  piece  available  for  the  defence  of  the  pawns.  An 
instructive  example  is  the  end-game  Ed.  Lasker-Rotlevi  on 

p.  100. 

End-games  with  Rook  against  Rook  are  the  most  fre- 
quent, as  well  as  the  most  difficult.  Here  the  possession  of 
an  extra  pawn  is  seldom  sufficient  for  a win,  unless  the  stronger 
side  has  also  an  advantage  in  the  greater  mobility  of  the  Rook. 
Diagram  78  is  typical  of  such  cases,  frequent  in  practice,  in 


which  the  greater  mobility  is  the  deciding  factor.  Although 
White  has  one  pawn  more,  he  can  only  win  by  reducing  the 
mobility  of  the  Black  Rook  through  the  following  manoeuvre  : 
I R — B 2,  R — Q 2 ; 2 R — R 2,  R — R 2.  Now  the  Black 
Rook  has  only  one  move  left,  whilst  the  White  Rook  has  the 
freedom  of  the  Rook’s  file.  For  instance,  the  Rook  can  be 
posted  at  R 5 and  prevent  the  Black  King  from  attacking 
White’s  King’s  side  pawns,  whilst  the  White  King  makes  for 
the  R at  R 7 and  effects  its  capture.  If,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  Black  King  tries  to  obstruct  the  way  to  the  Queen’s  side, 
Wffiite  penetrates  into  the  Black  pawn  position.  Black  cannot 
maintain  the  opposition  because  the  White  Rook  has  spare 
moves,  the  Black  Rook  none.  e.g.  3 K — B 3,  K — Kt  3 ; 


THE  END-GAME 


95 

4 R— R 5,  K— B 3 ; 5 K— K 4,  K— K 3 ; 6 R— R 4,  P— Kt  3 ; 
7 R— R 5.  K— Q 3 ; 8 K— Q 4,  K— B 3 ; 9 K— K 5,  and  wins 
the  pawns. 

Having  the  move,  Black  would  draw  the  game  by : 
I...R — Q 7 ch  ; 2 K — R 3,  R — R 7.  By  placing  his  Rook 
behind  the  passed  pawn  he  condemns  the  opposing  Rook  to 
inactivity,  whilst  his  own  is  free  to  move  on  the  Rook’s  file. 
If  now  the  White  King  comes  up,  he  will  in  the  end  force  the 
sacrifice  of  the  Black  Rook  for  the  pawn,  but  meanwhile 
the  Black  King  captures  the  White  pawns,  and  with  passed 
pawns  on  the  King’s  side  might  get  winning  chances. 

When  there  is  only  one  pawn  left  in  endings  of  R against 
R,  the  weaker  side  maintains  the  draw,  if  the  King  can  com- 
mand the  queening  square.  Diagram  79  shows  a position 
favourable  to  the  stronger  side,  and  which  can  mostly  be 
obtained  in  this  end-game.  But  here,  too.  Black  forces  a 
draw  with  a pretty  manoeuvre  : i. . .R — B 2 ; 2 R — K Kt  2, 
R — Q 2 ch  ; 3 P X R,  and  Black  is  stalemate. 


The  chances  of  a draw  are  even  greater  in  endings  of  Q 
against  Q,  as  the  King  on  the  stronger  side  can  seldom  evade 
perpetual  check.  For  the  sake  of  completeness  I will  show  a 
few  cases  in  which  Q or  R cannot  win  against  an  advanced 
pawn. 

In  Diagram  80  White  can  still  draw,  for  in  five  moves 
the  pawn  reaches  Kt  7,  supported  by  the  King  at  R 7,  and 
in  that  time  Black  cannot  come  up  with  his  King,  so  that  he 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


96 

must  give  up  the  Rook  for  the  pawn.  Two  passed  pawns  win, 
even  when  the  King  is  away  from  them,  if  they  have  reached 
their  sixth  square.  In  Diagram  81,  for  instance,  White  is  lost, 


as  Black  gives  up  his  Rook  at  Q 7 and  plays  P — Kt  6,  after 
which  one  of  the  pawns  queens. 

The  Queen  wins  against  an  advanced  pawn,  even  when  the 
latter  is  supported  by  the  King  ; only  the  R or  B pawn  can 


draw  sometimes,  when  the  pawn  is  on  the  seventh  supported 
by  the  King,  and  the  opposing  Q cannot  move  to  the  queening 
square. 


THE  END-GAME 


97 


The  following  illustrates  the  three  principal  cases  : 

A.  Position — Wliite  ; K at  Q Kt  8,  P at  Q R 7 

Black  ; K at  Q R 8,  Q at  Q B 3 

Black  must  stop  the  pawn  and  plays  Q — Kt  3 ch.  White 
answers  with  K — R sq  and  is  stalemate  unless  White  lets  the 
Kt’s  file  free  again.  This  end-game  can  only  be  won  if  the 
stronger  King  can  assume  the  opposition  in  two  moves.  There- 
fore, if  in  the  above  example  the  Black  King  was  standing  at 
Q 5,  Black  would  win  as  follows : I...Q — K i ch  ; 2 K — Kt  7, 
0— K 2 ch  ; 3 K— Kt  8.  K— B 4 ; 4 P— R 8 = Q,  K— Kt  3,  and 
White  cannot  cover  the  mate. 

B.  Position — White  : K at  Q Kt  8,  P at  Q B 7 

Black  : K at  Q 5,  Q at  Q B 3 

White  draws : i. . .Q — Kt  3 ch  ; 2 K — R 8,  Q x P stalemate. 

C.  Position  —Wliite  : K at  Q Kt  8,  P at  Q Kt  7 

Black  : K at  Q 5,  Q at  Q B 3 

White  loses. 

1 K — R 7,  Q — R 5 ch  ; 2 K — Kt  6,  Q — Kt  5 ch  ; 3 K — B 7, 
Q-B  4 ch  ; 4 K-Q  8.  Q—Q  3 ch  ; 5 K— B 8.  Q— B 3 ch  ; 
6 K— Kt  8,  K— B 4 ; 7 K— R 7.  Q— R 5 ch  ; 8 K— Kt  8, 
K — B 3 ; 9 K — B 8,  Q — R 3,  etc. 


End-games  from  Master  Play 

In  the  following  pages  I give  some  instructive  examples 
taken  from  tournament  play.  Step  by  step  we  will  find  how 
very  important  is  the  knowledge  of  the  simple  endings  treated 
in  the  last  chapter.  We  shall  see  that  it  is  often  necessary  to 
consider  many  moves  ahead  to  find  the  correct  line,  but  that 
it  is  nearly  always  possible  to  foresee  every  consequence  with 
unfailing  certainty.  Moreover,  because  of  the  reduction  of 
forces  there  is  no  call  to  take  very  many  variations  into  con- 
sideration. This  explains  why  there  is  a tendency  in  modern 
master  play  to  enforce  the  exchange  of  pieces,  as  soon  as 

c. 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


98 

there  is  the  slightest  advantage  sufficient  to  bring  about  one 
of  the  elementary  end-game  positions,  in  which  the  win  can 
be  forced. 

1.  From  a game  Teichmann-Blackhurne  {Berlin,  1897). 


Black  has  an  extra  pawn  on  the  Queen’s  side.  But  as  it  is 
doubled,  the  material  superiority  is  of  no  account.  A per- 
ceptible advantage,  however,  lies  in  the  fact  that  White  cannot 
bring  about  a “ forced  move  ” position,  as  Black  has  the 
move  P — Q B 4 in  reserve.  White  has  also  an  infinitesimal 
weakness  on  the  King’s  side,  the  Rook’s  pawn  having  advanced 
two  squares  and  being  therefore  an  easy  mark.  This  dis- 
advantage soon  becomes  apparent. 

1.  P—B  3 K— B 4 

2.  K — B 2 P — R 4 

3.  K~Kt  2 P— Kt  4 

4.  K— R 3 K— K 4 

With  this  move  advantage  is  taken  of  one  of  White’s  weak- 
nesses. White  must  exchange  pawns.  If  the  King  moves,  Black 
captures,  freeing  B 5 for  his  King,  from  where  he  can  later  on 
get  to  K 6 or  Kt  6.  But  after  the  exchange  at  Kt  4,  Black 
has  the  chance  of  obtaining  a “ distant  passed  pawn  ” on  the 
Rook’s  file. 

5.  PxP 

6.  K— Kt  2 

7.  K— R 2 


PxP 
K— B 4 
K— B3 


THE  END-GAME 


99 

If  Black  were  to  play  P — R 5 at  once,  White  would  reply  with 
8 K — R 3,  and  after  P x P,  9 K X P.  Black  would  have  to 
give  up  the  spare  move  P — B 4,  to  gain  the  square  at  B 5 for 
his  King.  The  game  then  would  be  drawn  after  10  K — Kt  2 ! 
K — B 5,  II  K — B 2,  because  White  maintains  the  opposition, 
and  Black  cannot  get  through  at  K 6 or  Kt  6.  Black  there- 
fore manoeuvres  his  King  first  in  such  a way  that  the  square 
at  his  B 4 is  only  reached  when  the  White  King  is  at  Kt  3. 

8.  K— Kt  2 K— Kt  3 

9.  K — R 2 P — R 5 

Now  neither  P x P nor  P — B 4 is  of  any  use.  In  the  first  case 
Black  obtains  the  distant  passed  pawn.  In  the  second  White 
obtains  the  distant  passed  pawn  after  10  P — B 4,  PxB  P ; ii 
P X R P,  but  loses  it  again  after  K — R 4 ; 12  K — R 3,  P — B 4. 

10.  K — R 3 P X P 

11.  KxP  K— B 4 

At  last  Black  has  captured  the  coveted  square,  whilst  keeping 
the  spare  move  in  hand. 

12.  K— B 2 K— B 5 


The  White  King  cannot  move  to  Kt  2 now,  because  in  that 
case  Black  would  move  the  King  to  the  White  Q B P and  queen 
in  seven  moves,  and  White,  after  seven  moves,  would  only 
have  the  K B pawn  at  B 7. 

13.  K— K 2 K— Kt  6 

14.  K— K 3 P— B 4 

and  wins,  for  White  cannot  hold  the  K B P now,  but  must  cap- 
ture the  Kt  P in  exchange  for  it,  after  which  the  Black  King 
reaches  the  Queen’s  side  two  moves  ahead,  e.g. : 


15.  K— K 2 

16.  K— K 3 

17.  K— K4 

18.  K— B 5 

19.  KxP 


K— Kt  7 
K— B 8 ! 
K— B7 
KxP 

K— K 6,  etc. 


Black  would  have  forced  a win  also  if  White  had  played 
K — Kt  2 on  his  twelfth  move  thus  : 12  K — Kt  2,  K — B 5 ; 
13  K — B 2. 


roo 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


Now  White  has  the  opposition,  and  after  Black  wrings  it 
from  him  by  playing  the  spare  move  P — B 4,  he  assumes  it 
again  with  14  K — K 2,  K — Kt  6 ; 15  K — K 3.  But  he  cannot 
maintain  it  after  Black’s  K — R 6 because  the  square  at  Q 3 
for  distant  opposition  is  not  accessible.  After  16  K — Q 2, 
K— R 7 ! ; 17  K— K 3,  K— Kt  6 ; 18  K— K 2,  K— Kt  7 ; 
19  K — K 3,  K — B 8 we  get  the  same  result  as  before. 

II.  From  a game  Ed.  Lasker-Rotlevi  {Hamburg,  1910). 


White  has  the  advantage,  because  Black  must  keep  either 
his  King  or  his  Knight  permanently  near  the  passed  pawn, 
guarding  against  its  advance,  whilst  both  White’s  King  and 
Knight  can  attack  the  Black  pawns.  As  yet  they  stand  so 
far  in  the  rear  that  the  White  King  cannot  approach  them 
Therefore  White  must  first  try  to  force  their  advance. 

1.  Kt— B 5 P— Kt  3 

2.  Kt— Q3  P— R4 

This  is  now  necessary,  because  the  square  B 3 is  weak  after 
P — Kt  3 and  the  White  Knight  threatens  to  win  the  Rook’s 
pawn  eventually  with  a check  at  B 6.  For  this  reason 
Kt — Q 2,  for  instance,  could  not  be  played  instead  of  the 
move  in  the  text,  because  3 Kt — K 5 would  follow.  Black 
now  cannot  exchange,  of  course,  otherwise  the  position  would 
resolve  itself  to  an  easy  end-game  win  similar  to  the  one  in 


THE  END-GAME 


101 


Diagram  56.  There  would  be  nothing  left  but  Kt — Kt  i to 
oppose  the  threat  of  Kt — B 6 ch,  and  this  would  get  the  Knight 
entirely  out  of  play,  so  that  White  could  queen  the  passed 
pawn  easily  after  4 K — Kt  6. 

3.  K-K  5 P-B  3 

The  King  was  threatening  to  enter  via  Q 5 and  B 6. 

4.  K-B  5 Kt— K 3 

If  Black  wishes  to  obviate  the  threat : Kt — K 5 — B 4,  and 
plays  P — Kt  4,  the  White  King  goes  to  Q B 5 and  wins  all  the 
pawns  easily.  Therefore  Black  endeavours  to  sacrifice  a pawn 
in  order  to  exchange  the  two  others,  after  which  a draw  could 
be  forced  by  exchanging  the  Knight  for  the  remaining  White 
pawn. 

5.  Kt— K 5 P— B 4 

6.  Kt— B 4 P— Kt  4 

7.  Kt  X P P — B 5 


8.  K— K 5 Kt— B 4 

9.  Kt— B 6 ch  K— B I ! 

Not  K — B 2,  because  of  10  K — Q 4,  Kt — Q 6 ; ii  Kt — K 5 ch. 

10.  Kt — R 7 

Here  White  had  only  considered  the  following  answer  : 

Kt — Q 6 ch  ; ii  K — Q 4,  Kt  x Kt  P ; 12  Kt  x P,  Kt — 0 6 ; 
13  P — B 5,  Kt — Kt  5 ; 14  Kt — B 3,  Kt — B 7 ch  ; 15  K xP, 


102 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


Kt — K 6 ch  ; i6  K — B 5,  KtxP;  17  P — R 4,  Kt — K 2; 
18  Kt — 0 5,  Kt — B I ; 19  K — B 6,  K — K i ; 20  K — B 7, 
Kt — R 7 ; 21  K — Kt  7,  and  wins  the  Knight. 

Black  however  draws,  through  a pretty  combination  *. 


10 

11.  K— O4 

12.  PxP 

13.  K— B4 

14.  KxP 


P— Kt  5 
P— B 6 
Kt— K 3 ch 
PxP 
KtxP 


and  White  cannot  prevent  the  ultimate  exchange  of  Kt  for  P. 
The  last  winning  chance  would  have  been : 10  K — Q 4 !, 
Kt — Q 6 ; II  K — B 3.  This  is  in  any  case  the  more  plausible 
line,  because  now  White  can  attack  the  pawns  with  both  King 
and  Knight,  as  both  the  Black  pieces  are  away  from  the  field 
of  operations.  The  sequel  could  be  : ii. . .Kt  x B P ; 12  P — R 3 
(Kt — R 7 would  only  draw ; Kt — K 7 ch  ; 13  K — Kt  4,  Kt — B 8; 

14  P — R 3,  Kt — R 7 ch  ; 15  K x P,  P — B 6)  ; 12. . .Kt — Q 4 ch  ; 
13  K— Q 4.  Kt— B 5 ; 14  K— K 4 (Kt— R 7 ?,  Kt— K 7 ch  ! 1 ; 

15  K— K 3,  P— B 6),  Kt— Q 6 ; 15  P— Kt  4,  Kt— Kt  7 ; 

16  Kt — Q 4,  and  wins 

III.  From  a game  Blackburne-SchlecMer  {Vienna,  1898). 


Diag.  85. 

White  has  just  played  Q — B 4.  P — B 5 is  threatened,  and 
Black  is  forced  to  exchange  Queens.  The  ensuing  end-game. 


THE  END-GAME 


103 

however,  is  inferior  for  Black,  because  the  Q P is  weak  and 
White  threatens  eventually  to  force  his  Queen’s  Pawn  through. 


I Q — B 4 

2.  QxQ  BxQ 

3.  Kt— Q 4 B— Kt  3 

4.  RxR  RxR 

5.  R— K I RxR 


If  Black  wants  to  avoid  the  exchange,  he  must  yield  up  the 
King’s  file  to  White,  and  that  would  surely  spell  disaster,  as 
the  Black  Rook  would  have  no  field  of  action,  and  would  have 
to  go  to  Q I to  avoid  the  loss  of  a pawn  through  Kt — Kt  5 ch, 
after  which  the  White  Rook  would  take  possession  of  the 
seventh  rank,  fettering  the  action  of  the  Bishop  into  the 
bargain. 

6.  KxR  B— Q 6 

7.  P-Q  Kt  3 K-Q  2 

Black  is  condemned  to  inactivity,  and  Wlrite  can  quietly  set 
to  work  to  force  his  pawn  through. 

8.  K— Q 2 

9.  P — Kt  3 

10.  P— Q R 3 

11.  K— K3 

12.  Kt — B 3 

In  order  to  play  P — Q Kt  4 and  P — B 5,  then  to  force 
Black  to  exchange  at  B 5,  White  must  first  have  the  oppor- 
tunity of  bearing  a second  time  on  Black’s  Queen’s  Pawn. 
Therefore  he  prepares  the  manoeuvre  Kt — B 3 — Q 2 — B 4. 


12. 

K— K 2 

13. 

P-Q  Kt  4 

B— B 4 

14. 

P-B5 

B— 0 2 

15- 

K-Q  4 

B— K I 

16. 

Kt-Q  2 

B-Q2 

17- 

Kt— B 4 

P xP  ch 

18. 

PxP 

P-B3 

It  is  not  yet  easy  to  materialise  the  advantage  in  position 
The  advance  P — Q 6 ch  would  be  very  bad,  as  B 6 and  K 6 
would  be  made  accessible  for  Black.  White  starts  by  tempting 


B— K 5 
B— Kt  8 
B— K 5 
B— Kt  8 


104 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


the  pawns  forward  and  thixs  systematically  creates  points  of 
attack. 

ig.  Kt — Kt  2 B — B 4 

20.  P — Q R 4 K — Q 2 

21.  P — R 5 P — Q R 3 

The  Queen’s  side  is  paralysed.  The  text  move  is  forced,  as 
P — R 6 would  give  White  yet  another  passed  pawn.  Now 
White  turns  his  attention  to  the  King’s  side. 


22.  Kt — B 4 

23.  Kt — Q 6 

24.  K— K4 

25.  P — Kt  4 

26.  K— Q 4 


K— B 2 
B-Q2 
B— R 5 
B — B 7 ch 
B-Kt  3 


Black  wishes  to  play  P — R 4,  in  order  to  get  a passed  pawm 
too,  the  only  chance  of  saving  the  game. 

27.  P— R 3 K — Kt  I 

Now  P — R 4 would  be  countered  by  Kt — B 5,  forcing  the 
exchange  and  leaving  a backward  pawn  at  Kt  2 and  the  Rook’s 
pawn  would  be  bound  to  fall. 

28.  Kt — B 5 B xKt 

29.  P X B K — B 2 


It  would  now  seem  as  if  Black  might  have  played  P — K Kt  4 
here,  securing  a passed  pawn,  and  forcing  a draw.  After 
30  P — R 4 Black  would  play  P — R 3,  and  it  is  not  evident 
how  White  is  to  win.  But  29...P— K Kt  4 is  parried  by 
P X P e.p.  The  difference  in  the  pawn  positions,  which  decides 


THE  END-GAME 


105 

the  issue  for  White,  is  found  in  the  fact  that  the  White  passed 
pawn  at  Q 5 is  unassailable  because  the  support  of  the  B P 
cannot  be  taken  away  by  Black’s  P — Kt  3,  whilst  Black’s 
passed  pawn  at  his  B 3 can  be  isolated  at  any  time  through 
P — R 4 — R 5.  White  would  take  up  a position  on  the 
Knight’s  file  with  the  King,  and  push  on  the  Rook’s  pawn. 
The  isolated  pawns  are  then  an  easy  prey.  On  the  text 
move  White  also  pushes  the  Rook’s  pawn  on  to  compel  P — R 3 
and  reduce  Black  to  moves  by  the  King.  The  passed  Queen’s 
pawn  decides  the  game. 

30.  K— K4  K— Q2 

31.  K— B 4 K— K 2 

32.  K — Kt  4 K — Q 2 

33.  P— R 4 K— B I 

34.  P— R 5 P— R 3 

Otherwise  there  follows  : P — R 6,  K — R 5,  etc. 

35.  K-B  4 K-Q  2 

36.  K— K 4 K— B 2 

37.  P — Q 6 ch  K — B I 

38.  K— Q 5 K— Q 2 

39.  P — B 6 ch  P X P ch 

(compare  Diagram  68) 

40.  K — B 5 Resigns 


IV.  From  a game  Bird- Janowski. 


In  spite  of  the  preponderance  of  material,  the  win  is  not  an 
eixsy  one  for  Black,  because  of  White’s  alarming  pawn  array 


lOt) 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


on  the  Queen’s  side.  The  King  must  first  make  use  of  his 
great  power  as  an  end-game  piece. 


1. 

2. 

3- 

4- 

5- 


K— B 2 
K— K 3 
PxP 
K-Q2 


P— Kt  5 
P— Kt  6 
PxP 
B— K5 

threatens  P — Kt  7.  But  as  White  must  first  move  his  Bishop 
to  cover  his  pawn,  the  Rook’s  pawn  is  lost,  and  the  manoeuvre 
therefore  unsound.  P — R 3 was  indicated  ; it  threatens  the 
break-up  of  the  Black  pawns  by  P — Kt  4 and  their  capture  by 
the  King. 

5 K— B 3 

6.  B — 0 4 R — R 2 ch 

7.  K— K 3 RxP 

K— B 4 R— Q 7 ! 

P— Kt4  RxB 

Black  reduces  the  position  to  an  elementary  ending,  which  is 
theoretically  a win.  Whilst  the  two  White  passed  pawns  are 
isolated  and  fall  singly.  Black  obtains  two  passed  pawns,  which 
are  united  and  unassailable. 

10.  PxR  P— K 6 

KxKP  PxP 

K— B 4 P— R 4 

P— QSch  KxKtP 

K— K 5 K— B 2 

Resigns. 


8. 

9- 


11. 

12. 
13- 
14. 


V.  From  a game  Steiner-F orgacz  {Szekesfehervdr,  1907). 


THE  END-GAME 


107 

White  has  an  advantage  in  the  greater  mobility  of  his  Rook, 
and  makes  the  most  of  it  in  an  instructive  fashion. 

1.  R— Kt  4 P— Kt  3 

White  provokes  this  move  in  order  to  produce  a weakness  at 
K B6. 

2.  K— K 2 K— K 3 

3.  R— K B 4 R— K B T 

Black  naturally  dare  not  allow  the  Rook  to  penetrate  into 
the  seventh. 

4.  P— Q 4 P— Q B 4 

This  move  would  win  the  game,  if  the  Rooks  had  been  ex- 
changed, because  in  that  case  the  distant  passed  pawn  which 
Black  could  obtain  on  the  Q Kt  file  would  decide  the  issue. 
But,  supported  by  the  mobile  Rook,  the  centre  pawns  become 
irresistible.  Instead  of  the  text  move,  P — K B 4 was  neces- 
sary in  order  to  release  the  Rook. 


5.  P — B 3 P X P 

6.  PxP  P— K B 4 


If  it  were  not  for  the  Rooks,  the  centre  pawns  would  not  help 
White,  because  Black  would  obtain  a passed  pawn  on  either 
wing. 

7.  K— Q 3 P— K Kt  4 

8.  R— B 2 R— B I 

9.  P— Kt  4 P— B 5 

If  P xP,  10  R — B 6 ch,  K — K 2 ; ii  R — R 6 wins. 


10.  P — K R 4 

11.  PxP 

12.  R — R 2 

13.  R — R 6 ch 

14.  P — Q 5 

15.  R— K 6 ch 

16.  R— B 6 ! 


P— K R 3 
PxP 
R— B I 
K— K 2 
P— B 6 
K-Q2 
Resigns. 


For  after  RxR,  17  PxR,  White  captures  the  B P.,  and  still 
overtakes  the  passed  pawn  which  Black  obtains  on  the  Queen’s 


io8 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


wing ; the  pawns  at  Q 5 and  B 6 are  unassailable  (K — K 8, 
P — 0 6,  K — B 7,  P — Q 7,  etc.).  The  consequences  of  16  R — B 6 
had  to  be  calculated  to  a nicety.  If,  for  instance,  the  Q Kt  P 
were  already  at  his  fourth.  White  would  lose.  In  four  moves 
Black  would  have  one  of  his  pawns  at  his  R 6,  the  other  at 
Kt  5.  In  the  meantime  White  would  have  taken  the  B P 
and  come  back  to  the  Q file.  No\v  Black  would  win  with 
P — Kt  6,  because  after  P x P the  R P queens  unmolested. 

VI.  From  a game  Charousek-Heinrichsen  {Cologne,  1898). 


Diag.  89. 


White’s  position  is  superior ; firstly,  because  the  only 
open  file  on  the  board  is  his,  and  secondly,  because  the  Black 
Queen’s  side  pawns  are  advanced,  and  therefore  weak  for  a 
King’s  ending.  After  exchanging  the  Queen  and  one  Rook, 
the  possession  of  the  King’s  file  ensures  the  advance  of  the 
King  to  K 4 and  from  there  to  Q 5.  Then  the  weakness  of 
Black’s  pawns  decides  the  game. 


2.  R— K 8 ch 

3.  R xR  ch 

4.  K— R 2 
5-  K-Kt  3 


I-  QxQ 


RxQ 
RxR 
K— R 2 


P— K Kt  3 


P X P is  no  threat,  because  White  wins  the  pawn  back  at  once 


THE  MIDDLE  GAME 


log 

with  R — K 5.  By  capturing,  Black  would  only  dislocate  his 
pawns. 

5 K Kt  2 

6.  K— B4  K— B3 

7.  R— K 5 P— Kt  3 

8.  K— K 4 R— Q 3 

9.  P— K B 4 R— K 3 

Black  probably  hopes  for  a counter  chance  by  getting  a distant 
passed  pawn  on  the  K Rook’s  file.  But  he  underrates  the 
weakness  of  the  Queen’s  side  pawns,  and  even  without  the  ex- 
change of  Rooks,  White  would  win,  by  settling  the  King’s  side 
first  and  then  tearing  up  the  Queen’s  side,  as  in  the  game  : 
10  P — K Kt  4,  R — K 2;  II  PxP,  PxP;  12  P — Kt  5 ch, 
P X P ; 13  P X P ch. 


10.  PxP  PxP 

11.  K — Q 5 R xR 

12.  P X R ch  K — K 2 

13.  P — Q Kt  4 Resigns 


Black  must  capture,  as  he  needs  seven  moves  in  which  to  ex- 
change the  Knight’s  pawn  and  queen  his  Rook’s  pawn,  whilst 
in  that  time  White  can  win  the  Q P after  PxP,  and  yet  arrive 
in  time  with  his  King  to  stop  the  pawn  from  queening. 

After  13. ..PxP,  however,  there  follows  14  K x P.  Then 
White  covers  his  passed  pawn  with  P — Q 4,  and  his  King, 
having  full  freedom,  captures  all  the  Black  pawns. 


CHAPTER  VI 
THE  MIDDLE  GAME 
General  Remarks 

Having  now  a fair  knowledge  of  the  end-game,  we  should  be 
in  a position  to  appreciate  how  the  middle  game  should  be 
conducted.  We  must  throughout  maintain  a favourable 
pawn  formation,  in  view  of  the  end-game  which  might  be 
forced  on  us  by  exchanges.  On  the  other  hand,  as  soon  as  we 
have  gained  an  advantage  sufficient  to  secure  the  \’ictory  in 
the  end-game,  we  must  ourselves,  by  the  exchange  of  pieces. 


no 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


try  to  reduce  the  position  to  one  of  the  typical  elementary 
cases  which  we  have  discussed.  Now  it  will  invariably  be 
found  that  beginners  are  unwilling  to  make  these  essential 
exchanges.  This  is  explained  by  the  attraction  which  combina- 
tions involving  the  action  of  many  pieces  have  for  them. 
They  assume  that  exchanges,  particularly  of  the  Queens, 
make  the  games  dull.  Such  ideas  only  prove  that  the  beginner 
has  not  grasped  the  nature  of  chess,  the  essence  of  which  is 
stem  logic  and  uncompromising  conclusions,  and  this  demands 
the  shortest  and  clearest  way  leading  to  a mate.  To  the  strong 
player,  able  to  play  logically,  logic  will  always  be  inseparable 
from  beauty  in  chess. 

To  play  logically  means  to  subordinate  all  combinations  to 
a leading  plan  of  campaign,  but  there  is  difficulty  in  finding  the 
latter.  An  unsound  scheme,  even  if  worked  out  to  its  logical 
conclusion,  can  of  course  be  of  no  value.  All  the  same  it  is 
better  than  no  plan  at  all.  And  in  time  one  gains  by  experi- 
ence, and  develops  a sort  of  instinct  for  rejecting  from  the 
large  number  of  possible  operations  all  those  which,  properly 
countered,  cannot  bring  any  advantage. 

Beside  practical  play,  which  is  essential  in  order  to  gain 
this  instinct,  a methodical  theoretical  instmction  is  of  in- 
estimable value,  and  accelerates  the  development  of  the  student’s 
mind.  Now  the  instmction  I wish  to  give  in  the  theory  of  chess 
will  not  take  the  form  of  an  analysis,  brought  up  right  into  the 
middle  game,  of  the  various  openings,  tested  and  found  correct 
in  master  play.  Such  collections  erroneously  bear  the  title 
of  “ Theory  of  the  Openings,”  and  are,  besides,  quite  useless 
at  this  stage,  since  they  only  embody  the  results  of  analysis. 

It  is  first  necessary  to  ascertain  a few  leading  principles, 
which  can  be  taught  in  a most  simple  manner,  by  the  exercise 
of  common  sense,  rather  than  by  applying  oneself  to  the  study 
of  long-winded  analysis.  The  student  will  no  longer  need  to 
discover  time-worn  maxims  in  the  light  of  his  own  weary  ex- 
perience, and  on  the  other  hand,  these  principles  will  help  him 
to  understand  analysis,  and  to  keep  clearly  before  his  mind’s 
eye  the  common  and  principal  lines  of  play,  of  which  he  might 
easily  lose  sight  in  the  labyrinth  of  suggested  variations. 

I propose  to  show  the  application  of  such  principles  to 
master  play,  and  this  will  give  us  a further  opportunity  of 


THE  MIDDLE  GAME 


III 


deeper  study,  both  of  the  rules  set  out  in  the  first  part  for 
conducting  the  opening  correctly,  and  of  the  end-game  prin- 
ciples, which  should  be  well  considered. 


I have  made  the  pawn  skeleton  with  its  attendant 
grouping  of  pieces  the  main  consideration  in  the  study  of  the 
opening  ; now  in  the  investigation  of  the  problems  of  the 
middle  game,  I wiU  start  from  the  transformation  which  the 
pawn  skeleton  has  to  undergo  in  the  course  of  further  opera- 
tions. In  my  opinion  this  is  the  best  starting-point  for  the 
choice  of  effective  manoeuvres  of  the  different  pieces. 

Before  we  are  able  to  evolve  a practical  scheme  we  must 
have  under  consideration  the  following  important  points : 
How  do  we  know  if  an  attack  is  likely  to  succeed  ? In  other 
words  : On  what  point  should  I concentrate  the  attack  ? It 
should  be  clear  to  all  that  it  is  of  no  possible  use  to  direct 
an  attack  on  anything  that  can  move  away.  Yet  beginners 
frequently  infringe  this  obvious  rule,  and  I have  often  wit- 
nessed manoeuvres  such  as  these  (Diagram  go): 


Diag.  90. 


I P — Q R 3,  2 P — Q Kt  4,  and  then,  after  the  B has  retired 
to  his  Kt  3 even,  3 R — Q Kt  i,  4 P — Q R 4,  5 P — R 5.  Mean- 
while Black  will  have  played  P — O R 3,  to  make  a loophole 
for  his  B at  R 2,  and  what  is  the  result  ? The  Black  Bishop 
is  as  effectual  at  R 2 as  at  B 4,  but  White  has  advanced  his 
pawns,  and  weakened  them,  as  they  are  now  more  liable  to 


II2 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


attack.  Moreover,  White  has  used  up  five  moves  to  achieve 
his  aim,  whilst  Black  only  needed  three.  Therefore  Black  has 
gained  two  moves,  which  he  can  use  for  the  development  of 
his  pieces. 

Diagram  91  illustrates  another  mistake  frequently  made  in 
the  choice  of  an  objective,  and  one  which  can  utterly  spoil 
the  whole  game,  even  in  its  earliest  stage.  Black  has  to 


Diag.  91. 


move,  and  his  game  is  somewhat  hindered  by  the  dominating 
position  of  the  White  Queen.  The  latter  prevents  the  Bishop 
from  occupying  a desirable  square  at  his  Q B 4,  and  also 
makes  the  liberating  move  P — Q 4 impossible.  Therefore  it 
would  seem  desirable  to  drive  the  Queen  away.  But  this 
should  only  be  done  if  it  is  not  attended  by  some  further 
disadvantage. 

Now  the  average  player  is  not  particularly  fastidious  in 
his  methods.  The  Queen  irritates  him,  therefore  the  Queen 
must  be  repelled  one  way  or  the  other.  He  would  probably 
try  P — Q B 4.  The  result  is  that  the  Queen  selects  another  good 
square,  for  instance  at  K 3 or  Q R 4,  but  Black  has  not  im- 
proved matters,  for  he  still  can  play  neither  B — B 4 nor  P — Q 4. 
On  the  other  hand,  irredeemable  harm  has  been  done,  inasmuch 
as  the  Black  Q P now  remains  “ backward.”  The  attack 
on  the  Queen  by  P — Q B 4 must  consequently  be  rejected. 
Sallies  such  as  these,  in  which  short-lived  attacks  are  made  by 
pawns  upon  pieces,  are  always  of  doubtful  value.  They  must 


THE  MIDDI.E  GAME 


113 

unquestionably  be  avoided  if  they  break  up  the  pawn  skeleton, 
which  is  formed  in  the  opening,  and  confine  the  mobility  of 
the  pieces. 

Also  with  regard  to  manoeuvres  of  pieces,  intended  solely 
to  drive  away  an  opposing  piece,  it  is  obviously  essential  that 
the  attacking  pieces  in  effecting  their  purpose  should  not  be 
made  to  stray  too  far  afield,  lest  they  become  out  of  play. 

I shall  delay  dealing  with  the  features  underlying  good 
forms  of  attack,  both  by  pieces  and  pawns,  until  I have  treated 
of  the  choice  of  an  objective. 

From  what  we  have  already  expounded,  it  is  clear  that  the 
subject  of  an  attack  should  be  incapable  of  evasion.  Should  it, 
in  the  course  of  attack,  be  desired  to  prevent  a piece  from  being 
moved,  that  can  only  be  effected  by  means  of  a “ pin.”  A 
pawn,  however,  can  be  held  in  place  either  by  occupying  the 
square  immediately  in  front  of  it,  or  by  controlling  the  latter 
with  more  forces  than  the  opponent  can  bring  to  bear  upon  it. 


The  last  two  diagrams  exemplify  this.  If  in  Diagram  gi 
Black  makes  the  mistake  of  playing  P — Q B 4 as  suggested, 
the  backward  Q P becomes  a welcome  objective  for  WTiite’s 
attack.  White  can  keep  that  pawn  back  by  playing  P — Q B 4 
as  soon  as  it  threatens  to  advance,  after  which  he  would  develop 
quietly,  double  his  Rooks,  and  bring  the  Q and  Q B to  bear  in 
a concentrated  attack  on  Q 6.  A position  not  unlike  that  in 
Diagram  92  will  result  ultimately,  in  which  Black  defends  the 


114  CHESS  STRATEGY 

pawn  as  many  times  as  it  is  attacked,  but  in  which  \Vliite 
can  bring  up  his  K P to  the  attack,  as  the  Q P cannot  move 
away,  whilst  Black  has  no  further  defensive  move  at  his  dis- 
posal. Play  against  a backward  pawn  nearly  alw'ays  develops 
on  these  lines,  and  is  even  easier  when  there  is  no  defending 
B of  the  same  colour  as  the  pawn.  (See  p.  40,  and  Game 
No.  26.) 

Such  manoeuvres,  in  the  course  of  which  pieces  are 
pinned  and  attacked,  are  illustrated  in  Diagram  90.  The 
most  obvious  move,  which  initiates  an  attack  and  at  the  same 
time  completes  the  development  of  the  minor  pieces,  is  B — Kt  5. 
Attacks  by  means  of  such  devices  are  so  frequent  and  varied 
that  it  will  be  necessary  to  treat  them  at  some  length,  which  I 
now  propose  to  do.  I should  also  add  that,  with  regard  to 
Diagram  90,  the  student  will  derive  lasting  benefit  from  a 
thorough  study  of  the  position,  and  will  thus  improve  his  power 
to  judge  of  the  desirability,  or  otherwise,  of  obtaining  open 
files,  diagonals,  doubled  pawns,  etc.  After  B — K Kt  5,  the 
threat  is  to  attack  the  Knight  a second  and  third  time  with 
Kt — Q 5,  and  Q — B 3,  after  moving  the  K Kt  away.  As 
Black’s  K Kt  is  only  supported  twice,  and  there  is  no  chance 
of  bringing  up  more  forces  for  its  defence.  Black  must  under- 
take something  to  provide  against  the  threatened  onslaught. 

The  most  natural  plan  is  to  develop  the  Q B at  K 3,  from 
where  it  can  be  exchanged  for  the  Knight  should  Kt — Q 5 be 
played.  The  doubled  pawn,  which  White  could  force  by 
exchanging  the  Bishops,  is  in  no  way  detrimental  to  Black’s 
game.  On  the  contrary,  the  opening  of  the  file  for  the  Rook, 
with  the  attendant  chance  of  playing  P — Q 4 supported  by 
the  doubled  pawn,  gives  Black  the  advantage. 

The  doubled  pawn  which  Black  obtains  after  2 Kt — Q 5, 
B X Kt ; 3 P X B (or  3 B X B),  Kt — K 2 ; 4 B x Kt,  would  also 
be  of  no  help  to  White.  The  apparent  weakness  created  in 
Black’s  game  at  K B 3 and  K R 3 by  the  disappearance 
of  the  Kt  P does  not  assist  White  in  this  case,  because  the 
pieces  which  could  take  advantage  of  such  a weakness,  the 
Q B and  the  Kt  at  Q 5,  have  been  exchanged.  There  only 
remains  the  K Kt  and  the  Q for  an  immediate  attack,  whilst 
the  Black  Rook  will  soon  get  into  effective  action  on  the  open 
Knight’s  file,  e.g.  5 Q — Q 2,  K — R i ; 6 Q — R 6,  Kt — Kt  3 ; 


THE  MIDDLE  GAME 


115 

7 Kt — R 4,  Kt  X Kt  ; 8 Q x Kt,  Q — K 2,  followed  by  the  doub- 
ling of  the  Rooks  on  the  Kt  file.  Considerations  of  a similar 
nature  would  tend  to  show  that  i B — Kt  5,  Kt — K 2 ; 2 B x Kt, 
PxB  is  in  favour  of  Black.  The  Wliite  Q B,  which  is  so 
effective  in  taking  advantage  of  weaknesses  at  Black’s  K B 3 
and  R 3,  has  been  exchanged.  The  Queen’s  Knight  is  not 
available  for  attack  on  the  K B P,  as  it  would  be  exchanged  or 
else  driven  off  in  time  by  P — B 3.  Compared  with  the  position 
considered  above,  which  occurs  after  I...B — K 3,  2 Kt — Q 5, 
Black  has  the  further  advantage  of  maintaining  his  Q B, 
which  makes  it  possible  to  push  the  weak  K B P on  to  his  fourth, 
and  either  exchange  it  or  push  it  still  further  to  B 5,  a useful 
and  secure  position. 

Matters  would  be  different  were  Black  to  allow  his  King’s 
wing  to  be  broken  up  without  getting  rid  of  White’s  dangerous 
pieces  by  exchanges.  Let  us  consider  what  happens,  if  Black 
takes  no  measures  against  Kt — Q 5,  but  only  prevents  White’s 
ultimate  Q — B 3 by  pinning  the  Knight  with  13 — K Kt  5.  White 
gains  a decisive  advantage  by  bringing  his  Queen  into  play 
before  Black  is  able  to  secure  himself  against  the  threatened 
combined  attack  of  Q and  B,  or  alternately  Q and  Kt  by 
K — R I,  R — Kt  I — Kt  3.  I will  give  two  examples  of  how  the 
whole  game  now  centres  on  the  attack  and  defence  of  the 
points  weakened  by  the  disappearance  of  the  Kt  P,  and  how 
White  pushes  home  his  advantage  in  the  one  instance  with 
the  help  of  the  B,  in  the  other  by  the  co-operation  of  the  Kt. 

I.  I B— K Kt  5,  B— K Kt  5 ; 2 Kt— Q 5,  Kt— Q 5 ; 
3 Q — ^Q  2,  BxKt?;  4 BxKt,  PxB;  5 Q — R 6,  and 
there  is  no  reply  to  the  threat  of  Kt  x P ch  and  Q X P 
mate,  except  through  the  sacrifice  of  the  Q.  Forcing  the 
exchange  of  Knights  is  of  no  avail,  for  after  5...Kt — K 7 
ch  : 6 K— R I,  B xP  ch  ; 7 K xB,  Kt— B 5 ch  ; 8 Kt  xKt, 
P X Kt ; 9 K — R I,  White  occupies  the  Kt  file  first  and  wins 
easily  ; 9...K — R i ; 10  R — K Kt  i,  R — K Kt  i ; ii  RxR 
Q X R ; 12  R — K Kt  i followed  by  mate  or  loss  of  the  Queen. 

II.  3 Q— Q 2,  P— B 3 ; 4 Kt  xKt  ch,  PxKt  ; 5 B— R 4 I 
BxKt;  6 Q— R 6,  Kt— K 7 ch  ; 7 K— R i,  BxP  ch ; 

8 K xB,  Kt— B 5 ch  ; 9 K— R i,  Kt— Kt  3.  Now  Black  has 
succeeded  in  interrupting  the  White  Queen’s  action  on  the 
B P.  But  it  ha?  taken  many  moves,  with  the  sole  result  that 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


ii6 

Black’s  Queen’s  Knight  is  better  placed.  All  the  other  pieces, 
however,  occupy  the  positions  they  took  up  in  the  opening. 
The  Black  Knight,  moreover,  is  only  supported  by  the  R P 
until  Black  manages  to  block  the  White  Bishop’s  diagonal  by 
P — Q 4.  Meanwhile  White  has  gained  a big  start,  and  is 
ready  to  occupy  the  open  file  with  his  Rooks.  The  sequel 
might  be  ; 10  P — Q 4 !,  B x P (if  P X P ; ii  P — K 5 ! !,  Q P x P ; 
12  R — K Kt  I,  etc.) ; ii  P — B 3,  B — Kt  3 ; 12  Q R — Q i, 
K— R I ; 13  R— K Kt  i,  Q— K 2 ; 14  R— Q 3,  R— K Kt  i ; 
15  R — R 3,  R — Kt  2 (Kt  X B ; 16  Q x R P ch  ! !) ; 16  R — B 3, 
followed  by  B X P (B6). 

Taking  it  all  in  all,  we  see  from  the  foregoing  that  the 
pinning  of  the  Black  Knight  can  only  be  injurious  to  Black 
if  he  does  not  take  timely  measures  to  provide  against  White’s 
Kt — Q 5,  which  threatens  to  concentrate  more  forces  for  the 
attack  on  K B 6 than  Black  is  able  to  mobilise  for  its  defence. 

Beginners,  after  having  experienced  frequent  trouble 
through  their  inadequate  defence  of  this  kind  of  attack,  try 
to  avoid  their  recurrence  by  making  such  pinning  moves 
impossible  from  the  first  and  playing  P — R 3 on  whichever 
side  the  pin  is  threatened.  Apart  from  the  loss  of  time,  on 
which  I remarked  at  length  when  discussing  the  opening,  such 
pawn  moves  have  various  other  drawbacks. 

With  every  pawn  move  it  should  be  considered  whether 
the  squares  protected  by  the  pawn  before  it  has  moved  may 
not  need  the  support  of  that  pawn  at  a later  stage.  This  is 
particularly  the  case  with  regard  to  squares  in  front  of  the 
castled  King.  If  one  of  those  pawns  pushes  on,  the  squares 
which  have  lost  its  protection  frequently  offer  an  opening  for 
a direct  attack  by  the  enemy’s  pieces  on  the  King. 

A second  consideration  is  the  fact  that  the  advancing  pawn 
itself  becomes  a target  for  an  assault  in  which  the  opponent, 
moving  up  a pawn  on  the  next  file,  brings  his  Rooks  into  play, 
or  in  which  he  sacrifices  a piece  for  the  advanced  pawn  and  the 
one  that  protects  it,  thus  robbing  the  King  of  the  protection 
he  sought  to  obtain  in  castling. 

The  following  examples  will  contribute  much  to  the  under- 
standing of  this  most  important  subject,  the  grasp  of  which 
will  mean  a great  step  forward  for  the  student. 

The  position  in  Diagram  93  is  from  a game  v.  Scheve- 


THE  MIDDLE  GAME 


117 


Teichmann  (Berlin,  1907).  White  played  i P — R 3 in  order 
to  avoid  the  pinning  of  his  Knight  through  B — Kt  5.  The 
move  is  not  unjustified,  as  the  Knight  is  required  for  the 
support  of  the  square  at  Q 4.  The  pawn  move,  however, 
has  the  drawbacks  enumerated  above,  and  White  must  think 
of  keeping  a sufficiency  of  pieces  for  the  fight  on  the  King’s 
wing,  in  order  to  prevent  Black  from  utilising  the  weakness 
thus  created  for  a combined  assault  by  superior  forces. 


Diag.  93. 


In  this  case  White  does  not  take  precautionary  measures, 
and  succumbs  in  a surprisingly  short  time 

i...Kt — B 3 ; 2 PxP  ? With  this  move  White  opens  the 
diagonal  for  Black’s  K B for  no  apparent  reason.  2. . .Q  Kt  x P ; 

3 Kt  X Kt  ? Instead  of  providing  for  the  defence  of  his  King’s 
wing.  White  exchanges  one  of  the  King’s  side  pieces,  3. . .Q  x Kt ; 

4 Kt — Q 2,  BxP  ! White  has  provoked  this  sacrifice  by  his 
last  two  moves.  The  K B P is  pinned,  and  the  Q enters  by 
way  of  her  Kt  6,  the  protection  of  which  was  given  up  by 
pushing  on  the  R P.  The  rest  is  easy  ; 5 PxB,  Q — Kt  6 ch  ; 
6 K— R I,  QxP  ch  : 7 K— Kt  i,  Kt-^Kt  5 ; 8 Kt— B 3, 
Q — Kt  6 ch  ; 9 K — R i,  B x P ; 10  resigns. 

Diagram  94  shows  a position  from  a game  l\Iarshall-Burn 
(Ostend,  1907).  Strong  in  the  knowledge  that  the  Black 
Queen’s  side  pieces  are  not  developed,  and  can  only  with 
difficulty  be  of  assistance  in  the  defence  of  the  King’s  side 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


ii8 


because  of  their  limited  mobility,  White  takes  advantage  of 
the  weakness  created  by  the  advance  of  the  Black  K Kt  pawn 
to  his  third,  and  initiates  an  immediate  assault  on  the  King’s 
stronghold. 


Diag.  94- 


I P — K R 4,  R — K I ; 2 R 5.  This  forces  open  the  Rook’s 
file.  If  the  pawn  were  still  at  Kt  2,  Black  would  simply  let 
White  push  on  to  R 6 and  then  reply  with  P — K Kt  3. 

2.. .Kt  xP;  3 RxKt,  White  concludes  the  game  in  brilliant 
style.  Black’s  wrong  development  has  given  a welcome  oppor- 
tunity for  sacrificial  combinations.  Now  the  K B has  an  open 
diagonal,  the  pawn  position  is  broken,  and  White’s  Q and  R 
have  no  difficulty  in  using  the  Rook’s  file  for  a deadly  attack. 

3.. .PxR;  4 BxP  ch,  KxB;  5 Kt— Kt  5 ch,  K— Kt  3 (if 
K— Kt  I,  then  6 QxP,  Kt— B 3;  7 QxP  ch,  K— R i; 
8 Castles,  etc.)  ; 6 O Kt — B 3,  P — K 4 ; 7 Kt — R 4 ch,  K — B 3 ; 
8 Kt — R 7 ch,  K — K 2 ; 9 Kt — B 5 ch,  K — K 3 ; 10  Kt  x B ch, 
K — K 2 ; II  Kt — B 5 ch,  K — K 3 ; 12  P — Q 5 ch,  KxKt ; 
13  QxP  ch,  K — K 5;  14  Castles,  followed  by  P — B 3 or 
R — Q 4 mate. 

In  cases  where  both  sides  have  already  castled  on  the  same 
wing,  and  the  opponent  has  weakened  his  position  by  pushing 
on  one  of  the  pawns  of  that  wing,  it  is  seldom  advisable  to 
start  an  attack  with  the  advance  of  one  of  the  paums  in  front 
of  the  King,  as  the  latter’s  position  would  be  weakened.  An 


THE  MIDDLE  GAME  119 

attack  of  this  kind  is  only  justified  if  there  is  a prospect  of 
concentrating  with  all  speed  a superior  force  before  the  opponent 
has  time  for  a counter  attack. 

The  Black  position  in  Diagram  95  illustrates  one  much 
favoured  by  “ natural  ” players.  Here  the  advance  of  the 


Diag.  95. 


K R P would  not  be  a suitable  plan  of  attack  for  White  as  his 
Rook  is  no  longer  on  the  Rook’s  file,  nor  could  it  be  brought 
back  in  time.  In  this  case  White  must  endeavour  to  take 
advantage  of  the  weaknesses  at  Black’s  K B 3 and  K R 3, 
produced  by  his  move  P — K Kt  3.  This  will  be  the  modus 
operandi  : Q — Q 2 followed  by  B — R 6,  forcing  the  exchange 
of  Black’s  valuable  K B.  After  that  the  Q in  conjunction 
with  one  of  the  Knights  will  attempt  to  force  an  entry  at 
K B 6 or  K R 6,  as  for  instance  in  the  following,  the  moves 
of  which  are  taken  from  a game  I once  watched  and  took  note 
of  as  being  most  instructive. 

I Q— Q 2,  P— Q 3 ; 2 B— K R6,  PxP;  3BXB,  KxB; 
4PxP,Q-Q2;  5 Kt-K  4,  Kt-Q  4 ; 6 B-B  4,  Q R-Q  i ; 
7 BxKt,  PxB  ; 8 Kt— B 6,  Q— K 3 ; 9 Q— Kt  5,  B— B i 
(to  prevent  Kt — Kt  4)  ; 10  Q R — K i,  Q — B 4 ; ii  Q — R 4, 
P — K R 3;  12  Kt — Q 4,  KtxKt;  13  QxKt,  P — B 4; 
14  Q-Q  2,  P-Q  5 ; 15  P-K  B 4,  P-B  5 ; 16  P-K  Kt  4, 
Q-K  3 ; 17  P— B 5>  Q— B 3 : 18  R— K 4.  B-Kt  2 ; 


120 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


19  R— B 3 !,  g— B 4 ; 20  QxP  ch,  KxQ ; 21  R— R 3 ch, 
followed  by  R — R 7 or  Kt — R 7 mate. 


A somewhat  more  difficult  case  is  shown  in  Diagram  96. 


Diag.  96. 


Here  the  advance  of  the  White  King’s  side  pawns  has  un* 
deniably  produced  weaknesses  in  the  pawn  skeleton,  and  these 
would  be  fatal  had  the  Black  pieces  as  much  mobility  as  the 
White  ones.  But  the  congestion  of  Black’s  pieces  on  the 
Queen’s  side  makes  his  defence  unwieldy,  and  White  has  no 
difficulty  in  accumulating  his  forces  on  the  King’s  side  for  the 
final  assault.  The  prospects  are  that  White  will  be  able  to 
bring  home  his  attack,  before  Black  has  a chance  of  forcing 
exchanges  and  of  bringing  about  the  end-game,  which  through 
the  weakness  of  the  White  pawns  would  probably  turn  to  his 
advantage.  The  play  (E.  Cohn-Ed.  Lasker  match,  Berlin, 
1909)  is  instructive,  and  shows  how  the  attack  should  be 
conducted  in  such  positions,  i Kt — Kt  3,  B — Kt  2 ; 
2 K— R 2,  P— B 3 : 3 R— K Kt  I,  Kt— Q 2 ; 4 Kt— R 4. 
K — B 2.  The  concentration  of  the  White  pieces  has  become 
alarming,  and  threatens  to  be  continued  by  Q — Q 2,  R — Kt  2, 
Q R — K Kt  I,  and  Kt — B 5.  So  the  Black  King  decides  on 
flight,  but  he  finds  no  peace  on  the  Q side  either,  because 
there  his  advanced  pawns  soon  allow  White  to  make  a breach 
in  the  Black  position. 


5 Kt— Kt  2,  K— K 2 ; 6 Q— K 2,  Kt— Kt  3 : 7 K R— K B i. 
B — B I.  It  is  Black’s  intention  to  play  P — B 4 as  soon  as 


THE  MIDDLE  GAME 


121 


practicable,  and  to  make  an  attempt  at  a counter  demonstra- 
tion on  the  King’s  side,  8 P — K B 4,  K — Q i ?.  (Black  should 
have  kept  to  his  original  intention  and  played  P — B 4) ; 
9 PxP,  Q PxP;  10  Q — B 2,  Kt — Q 2;  ii  P — Q R 4! 
B — Kt  2:  12  PxP,  PxP;  13  RxR,  BxR.  Now  Wliite 
has  achieved  what  he  set  out  to  do.  He  has  opened  up 
avenues  of  attack  on  the  Queen’s  side,  and  is  ready  to  utilise 
the  weakness  of  Black’s  Q B P by  playing  P — Kt  4,  on  which 
Black  must  submit  to  opening  the  file  for  the  White  K R or 
the  diagonal  for  the  White  Q B.  In  either  case  White  brings 
vastly  superior  forces  to  bear  on  the  Black  King’s  position, 
and  Black  should  lose.  In  this  game  Black  escaped  only 
through  a mistake  on  the  part  of  his  opponent. 

In  the  foregoing  positions  it  was  seen  how  fatal  weaknesses 
can  be,  which  are  produced  by  the  premature  advance  of  the 
pawns  in  front  of  the  King,  on  whom  the  opposing  pieces  can 
force  their  attack.  When  the  pawns  concerned  are  on  the 
opposite  wing  to  their  King,  the  disadvantages  of  a premature 
advance  are  felt  in  a different  way.  The  weakness  concerns 
the  pawns  themselves  and  not  the  forces  behind  them,  and  is 
apt  to  cause  the  loss  of  the  end-game,  particularly  of  Rook 
end-games.  Let  us  compare  the  positions  in  Diagrams  97 


Diag.  97. 


and  98.  In  the  one  case  the  chain  of  Black  pawns  is  broken 
by  the  absence  of  K Kt  P,  in  the  other  of  the  Q Kt  P.  The 
absence  of  the  K Kt  pawn  can  lead  to  serious  consequences  in 


122 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


the  middle  game,  because  of  the  weakness  of  Black’s  K B 3 
and  K R 3 (compare  Diagram  90) ; it  can,  however,  hardly 
become  awkward  in  the  end-game,  as  the  pawns  on  the  B and 
R files  are  within  the  protecting  reach  of  their  King. 


Diag.  98. 


On  the  other  hand,  the  absence  of  the  Q Kt  P is  of  no  con- 
sequence for  the  middle  game.  There  is  nothing  behind  it  which 
could  invite  an  attack.  The  Q R P and  Q B P,  however,  are 
very  weak  for  the  end-game,  as  they  are  quite  out  of  reach  of 
the  King  (compare  Game  No.  19).  I do  not  wish  to  imply 
that  Black  should  have  avoided  the  exchange  at  his  Q B 3 
at  all  cost ; such  an  exchange  has  always  the  compensating 
advantage  of  opening  a file  for  the  Rooks,  which  advantage 
often  means  a favourable  middle  game,  as  will  be  readily 
understood.  Further,  it  is  often  possible  to  get  rid  of  the  weak 
Q R P by  pushing  it  on,  and  eventually  compelling  the  ex- 
change of  the  opposing  Kt  P,  an  exchange  which  can  usually 
be  enforced  if  the  Rooks  have  occupied  the  open  Kt  file.  The 
pawn  itself  is  often  useful  at  B 3,  in  that  it  can  support  the 
advance  of  P — Q 4 in  the  centre,  should  it  be  desired,  or  it 
can,  by  pushing  on,  be  brought  to  exercise  further  pressure  on 
the  opposing  Kt  P. 

The  break-up  of  the  pawn  position  on  the  Q side  can  be- 
come awkward  in  the  end-game  and  sometimes  in  the  middle- 
game  when  the  pawns  can  be  attacked,  and  pieces  brought  to 


THE  MIDDLE  GAME 


123 

bear  on  the  Queen’s  side  without  leaving  the  King’s  side 
denuded  of  forces. 

This  will  be  illustrated  by  the  position  in  Diagram  99. 


From  a game  Fr.  Lazard-Ed.  Lasker  {Paris,  1914) 

Here  the  pawn  positions  on  both  sides  are  broken,  and  the 
player  that  occupies  the  open  files  first,  gets  a decisive  advan- 
tage. In  this  case  it  is  Black’s  move.  We  can  conclude  at 
once  that  Wdiite  has  played  the  opening  badly.  He  must 
have  lost  two  moves,  for  he  has  still  to  capture  the  B P and 
then,  being  \^Tlite,  it  should  be  his  move.  This  disadvan- 
tage, small  as  it  may  seem,  with  which  White  has  emerged 
from  the  opening,  is  sufficient  to  bring  him  into  the  greatest 
difficulties.  Black,  of  course,  does  not  defend  the  pawn  by 
B — Kt  2 or  B — Q 2,  as  this  would  practically  reduce  the  B to  a 
P and,  moreover.  White,  by  R — Kt  i or  Q i,  would  both  attack 
the  B and  obtain  an  open  file.  Instead  of  that.  Black  utilises 
the  two  moves,  which  he  has,  as  it  were,  as  a gift  in  an  other- 
wise equalised  position,  to  bring  both  Rooks  on  the  Kt  file. 
This  policy  allows  Black  to  occupy  the  seventh  or  eighth  rank 
at  will,  and  to  attack  the  White  pawns  from  the  flank  or  rear, 
according  to  circumstances.  This  menace  hampers  the  radius 
of  action  of  the  White  pieces,  as  they  must  always  be  ready 
for  the  defence  of  the  threatened  pawns,  and  this  gives  Black 
by  far  the  superior  game. 


124 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


The  play  was  continued  as  follows  : i, . .R — Kt  i ; 2 B x P, 
R— Kt  7 : 3 B— K 4,  B— K 3 : 4 P— Q R 3,  K R— Kt  i.  The 
Knight’s  file  is  now  definitely  in  Black’s  hands.  White  could 
occupy  the  Queen’s  file,  but  the  Black  B at  K 3,  which  prevents 
the  entry  of  the  Rooks  at  Q 7,  makes  the  operation  aimless. 
Therefore  White  is  condemned  to  inactivity.  On  the  contrary, 
Black’s  line  of  action  is  clear.  His  entry  on  the  seventh  can 
only  achieve  something  if  White’s  Q B P can  be  deprived  of 
its  support.  To  do  this  Black  has  only  to  play  P — Q B 4 — B 5 
and  P — K B 4.  This,  of  course,  weakens  Black’s  K B,  and 
the  White  Rooks  might  obtain  an  entry  on  the  K file.  There- 
fore Black  will  effect  a timely  exchange  of  one  of  his  Rooks, 
after  which  his  King  alone  will  hold  the  K file.  These  con- 
siderations make  the  following  moves  clear  : 5 K R — K i, 
P — Q B 4 ; 6 P — K R 3,  a further  awkward  necessity  in 
positions  of  this  kind.  Before  the  Rook  can  venture  out,  a 
loophole  must  be  provided  for  the  King . 

6...P— B 5 ; 7 R— K 3,  R— Kt  8 ch  ; 8 RxR,  RxR  ch  ; 
9 K — R 2,  P — B 4 ; 10  B — B 3,  K — B 2 ; ii  B — K 2 (threat- 
ening R — Q B 3),  R — Kt  2 ; 12  R — Q B 3,  K — B 3 (now  B x P 
is  not  feasible  on  account  of  R — Q B 2)  ; 13  P — B 4.  White 
wishes  to  keep  the  Black  King  from  his  Q 5 but  cannot  do  so 
permanently.  Black,  however,  can  occupy  the  Q file  with  his 
Rook,  and  confine  the  White  King  to  his  wing.  13. . .R — Q 2 ; 
14  K — Kt  3,  R — Q 5 ; 15  K — B 3,  K — K 2 ; 16  R — K 3, 
K-Q  3 : 17  K-Kt  3,  R-Q  7 ; 18  P-B  3,  B-B  2.  R-R  7 
would  be  a mistake  on  account  of  RxB  ch,  but  the  Q R P 
cannot  escape.  19  P — Q R 4,  P — Kt  3 ; 20  B— B 3,  R — R 7 ; 
21  B — Q I,  B — Q 4 ; 22  R — K 2,  R — R 8 ; 23  R — Q 2,  R — R 6 ; 
24  R — QB  2,  RxRP.  Now  at  last  Black  has  obtained 
material  gain,  which  was  made  possible  by  his  command  of 
the  open  Kt  file.  To  convert  it  into  a win  by  queening  the 
extra  pawn  is  only  a matter  of  time. 

We  have  now  seen  how  the  possession  of  open  files  reacts 
on  the  mobility  of  the  opposing  forces,  forever  increasing 
their  difficulties  until  the  positional  advantage  is  converted 
into  material  gain.  We  shall  meet  with  cases  later  on  in  which 
the  greater  mobility  of  minor  pieces  achieves  the  same  result 
and  find  more  and  more  proofs  of  the  truth  of  the  main  general 
principles  which  I introduced  at  the  outset. 


THE  MIDDLE  GAME 


125 

Let  us  now  recapitulate  the  chief  points  touched  upon  in 
the  course  of  our  deliberations  ; 

1.  Generally  speaking,  attacks  should  only  be  directed  to 

objects  which  cannot  be  moved  away. 

2.  If  in  particular  cases  the  attack  is  aimed  at  driving  off 

an  opposing  piece  from  an  especially  favourable  post, 
that  attack  is  unwise,  if  it  involves  the  weakening 
the  pawn  position,  or  if  pieces  have  to  take  up  in- 
ferior positions  in  order  to  effect  their  purpose. 

3.  Pawn  moves  always  create  weaknesses,  either  by  leaving 

other  unsupported  pawns  behind,  or  by  giving  op- 
posing pieces  access  to  squares  formerly  guarded  by 
them,  and  this  more  specially  so  in  front  of  the 
castled  King. 

4.  Attacks  which  depend  on  pawn  moves  are  only  justi- 

fied if  overwhelming  forces  can  be  accumulated  in 
support,  as  the  advanced  pawns  might  become  the 
object  of  a counter  attack. 

5.  As  pawn  moves  have  very  generally  some  drawbacks, 

the  middle  game  is  the  pieces’  own  hunting  ground. 
As  in  the  opening,  the  first  consideration  of  sound 
play  in  the  middle  game  is  to  make  only  such  moves 
as  do  not  reduce  the  mobility  of  the  pieces. 

As  illustrative  of  such  manoeuvres  I shall  now  give  examples 
from  actual  master  play.  In  my  annotations  of  these  games 
I have  tried  to  keep  before  the  student’s  mind  constantly 
the  main  ideas  underlying  the  different  combinations  which 
spring  from  general  strategical  principles.  I thus  avoid 
burdening  his  memory  with  a mass  of  detail,  and  bring  into 
prominence  the  basic  principle  of  each  line  of  play,  thereby 
developing  his  capacity  for  conducting  a middle  game,  even 
after  an  unusual  opening. 

I have  fixed  mainly  upon  such  games  as  are  illustrative 
of  the  openings  treated  in  the  first  part  of  this  book.  In  most 
cases  the  first  moves  will,  therefore,  not  need  any  special 
remarks.  The  end-games,  being  typical  examples,  will  only 
need  reference  to  the  chapters  in  which  they  have  been  re- 
spectively dealt  with. 


PART  II 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES  FROM  MASTER 
TOURNAMENTS 

Game  No.  i 

White  : Tartakower.  Black  : Burn. 

King’s  Gambit  declined  (compare  p.  30). 

1.  P— K 4 P~K  4 

2.  P — K B 4 B — B 4 

3.  Kt-K  B 3 P-Q  3 

4.  PxP 

On  principle  this  exchange  cannot  be  commended,  as  the 
opening  of  the  Queen’s  file  increases  the  Black  Queen’s  mobility. 
White  derives  no  benefit  from  the  K B file  so  long  as  the 
Black  Bishop  makes  castling  impossible.  White  intends  to 
play  P — B 3 and  P — Q 4,  but  the  manoeuvre  is  doubtful, 
and  the  whole  opening  includes  an  inordinately  large  number 
of  pawn  moves.  In  the  present  game  Black  exposes  the 
failings  inherent  to  this  system  unequivocally. 

4 PxP 

5.  P— B 3 Kt— Q B 3 

Black  cannot  put  off  White’s  P — Q 4 by  B — K Kt  5,  for 
White  can  give  a check  with  the  Queen  and  unpin  the  Knight. 

6.  P— Q Kt  4 

The  object  of  this  move  is  not  clear,  as  P — Kt  5 does  not 
win  a pawn  (Kt — R 4 ; 8 Kt  x P ; 9 Q^ — R 5 ch).  It  does  not 

136 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


127 

promote  development  either,  and  only  compromises  the  Q B P 
and  Q Kt  P. 

6 B— Kt  3 

7.  B-Kt  5 Kt-B  3 

This  is  aimed  at  the  White  King’s  pawn,  which  is  deprived 

of  its  natural  support  by  the  Q Kt.  In  this  position  Black 
does  well  to  attack  White’s  K P rather  than  to  defend  his 
own,  because  an  open  King’s  file  can  only  benefit  him.  Being 
able  to  castle,  he  can  occupy  the  file  with  his  Rook  before  White 
has  time  to  bring  his  King  into  safety. 

8.  Kt  X P 

It  would  have  been  better  to  protect  the  pawn  by  0 — K 2 
or  P-Q  3- 

8 Castles  ! 


Diag.  100. 


The  beginning  of  a brilliant  attack.  Whether  Wdiite  ex* 
changes  the  Bishop  or  the  Knight,  he  is  overwhelmed. 

9.  Kt  X Kt 

After  9 B X Kt,  P x B ; 10  Kt  x P,  Q — K i wins  ; 10  P — Q 4 
would  also  lose  because  Black  gains  two  pawns  after  Kt  x P ; 
II  O — O,  Ktx  P.  It  is  interesting  to  note  how  speedily  the 
weakness  at  White’s  Q B 3 is  brought  to  book. 

PxKt 
KtxPl  1 


9 

10.  BxP 


128  CHESS  STRATEGY 

Now  White  can  neither  take  the  Kt  nor  the  R.  In  the  first 
case  Q — R 5 ch  forces  mate  very  soon,  in  the  second  B — B 7 ch, 
followed  by  B — Kt  5 ch  or  B — R 3 ch,  wins  the  Queen. 


II.  P— Q 4 

Q-B3! 

12.  BxKt 

Q— R 5 ch 

13.  K— Q 2 

QxB 

14-  Q— B3 

Q-R5I 

15.  P— Kt  3 

Not  QxR,  because  of  Q — B 7 ch  and  the  loss  of  the  Queen 
by  a discovered  check  by  the  Bishop. 


Q — Kt  4 ch 

16.  Q-K  3 Q-Q  4 

17.  R— K I B— Kt  5 

18.  K — B 2 P — Q R 4 

Such  is  the  price  to  pay  for  premature  advances. 

19.  PxP  RxP 

20.  B— R 3 P— Q B 4 


Black  shatters  White  s pawn  position,  and  his  Bishops  and 
Rooks  have  full  play  along  open  files  and  diagonals. 


21.  PxP 

22.  Kt  X R 

or  P X B,  R X R P ch  ; 23  R x R 

22 

The  rest  speaks  for  itself. 

23-  Q— K 5 

24.  K — Kt  2 

25.  K — B I 

26.  K — Q 2 

27.  K— K 3 

28.  K— B 2 

29.  K— Kt  I 

30.  Q — Kt  8 ch 
Resigns. 


RxBl 


X R ch  ; 24  K — B i,  B — B 4. 
BxP 


B — B 4 ch 
Q — Kt  2 ch 
B X Kt  ch 
R — Q I ch 
R— Q 6 ch 
0— B 6 ch 
R-Q7 
B— K B j 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


129 


Game  No.  2 


White  : Leonhardt.  Black  : Marshall. 

Falkbeer  Counter  Gambit  (compare  p.  35). 


1.  P— K 4 

2.  P— K B 4 

3.  PxQ  P 

4-  P— Q 3 

5-  QxP 

6.  Kt~Q  B 3 


P— K 4 

P-Q4 
P— K 5 
PxP 

Kt— K B 3 


It  would  be  quite  bad  to  play  P — B 4 and  try  to  hold 
the  extra  pawn  at  the  expense  of  development.  Black  would 
very  soon  occupy  the  King’s  file  with  his  Rook  and  there 
would  be  no  time  for  White  to  bring  his  King  into  safety,  e.g. 
6 P — B 4,  B — Q B 4 ; 7 Kt — K B 3,  Castles ; 8 B — K 2,  R — K i, 
and  already  now  there  are  threats  of  Kt — K 5 or  Kt — Kt  5 
followed  by  B — B 7 ch  or  Kt — B 7. 

6 B— Q B 4 

7.  B-Q  2 

White  would  of  course  like  to  continue  with  B — K 3 in 
order  to  make  a fight  for  the  possession  of  the  diagonal.  He 
would,  however,  lose  his  chance  of  castling  through  Black’s 
Q — K 2.  This  is  detrimental  in  all  such  cases  where  the  lines 
in  the  centre  are  open  or  likely  to  be  forced  open  at  any  time. 


7 

8.  Castles 

9.  B— K 2 

10.  B — B 3 

11.  B— K 3 ? 


Castles 
Q Kt-Q  2 
Kt— Kt  3 
B— K Kt  5 


White  has  not  yet  completed  his  development,  and  his 
first  care  should  be  to  bring  out  his  K Kt.  This  he  could  have 
done  without  difficulty,  thus  : ii  B xB,  Kt  xB  ; 12  Kt — R 3. 
After  the  move  in  the  text.  Black  not  only  occupies  the  King’s 
file  but  gains  a move  in  so  doing. 


II 

12.  QxB 
13-  Q '-Q4 


B X B ch 
R— K I 

Q-Qj 


I 


130 


CHESS  STRATEGY 

Black’s  course  is  obvious  ; he  must  win  the  Q P.  The 
forces  will  then  be  equal  in  material,  but  there  will  remain  a 


flaw  in  White’s  position,  namely  the  exposed  K B P,  and  this 
tells  in  the  ending. 

14.  P— K R 3 

Now  the  square  at  K Kt  3 is  unprotected,  and  this  is 
serious  in  view  of  a probable  Knight’s  ending,  where,  moreover, 
it  will  sooner  or  later  be  necessary  to  play  P — K Kt  3 in  order 
to  support  the  K B P.  Both  the  K Kt  P and  K B P would 
be  weak,  with  the  King  on  the  other  wing,  and  be  under 
constant  threat  of  being  captured.  The  game  does  pro- 
ceed as  indicated,  and  the  simple  and  logical  manner  in  which 
Marshall  brings  home  his  advantage  in  a very  short  time 
shows  convincingly  how  fatal  a shattered  pawn  position  can 
be  for  the  end-game.  Instead  of  the  move  in  the  text,  White 
should  have  played  BxB  followed  by  Kt — B 3,  which  would 
have  completed  his  development  without  making  another 


pawn  move. 

14 

15.  KtxB 

16.  K R— K I 

17.  RxR 

18.  KtxKt 
IQ.  P— K Kt  3 

making  a loophole  for  the  King. 


BxB 

QR-Qi 
RxR 
Q KtxP 
KtxKt 
P— KR3 

In  this  case  the  move  is 
correct,  as  the  threat  of  mate  ties  the  Black  Rook  to  his  rank. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


131 

It  is  wrong  to  make  a loophole,  as  weak  players  are  fond  ol 
doing,  as  early  as  possible  “ in  case,”  before  it  is  shown  that 
there  will  be  a need  for  it,  or  that  there  will  be  a Rook  ending. 

20.  P — R 3 

White  is  afraid  of  playing  20  Q xP  on  account  of  Kt — Kt  5, 
which  threatens  KtxB  P followed  by  Q — Q B 3.  21  QxP 
would  not  be  a sufficient  defence  because  of  Q — B 4 threatening 
mate,  and  on  the  other  hand  21  Q — R 4 would  conjure  up  a 
dangerous  attack,  beginning  with  P — Q Kt  4.  When  the 
players  castle  on  different  wings,  there  is  always  the  danger  of 
the  opponent  sacrificing  pawns  and  opening  up  files  for  his 
Rooks  and  Q against  the  castled  King,  The  game  then  assumes 
a wild  character,  and  as  matters  are  generally  settled  one  way 
or  another  in  the  middle-game,  end-game  considerations, 
both  with  regard  to  number  and  position  of  pawns,  can  be 
disregarded.  Experience  has  shown  that  the  player  who 
develops  his  attack  first  is  likely  to  win,  and  that  it  is  of  little 
use  to  submit  tamely  to  an  assault  of  this  kind  without  at- 
tempting a counter  attack. 

Such  games  are  very  difficult  for  the  beginner  to  under- 
stand. There  is  about  them  something  violent  and  difficult 
to  estimate,  and  years  of  practice  are  necessary  in  order  to 
gain  the  judgment  required  for  weighing  up  the  possibilities 
of  attack  and  counter  attack,  where  the  Kings  have  castled 
on  opposite  wings. 


20. 

P— R3 

21. 

R-Qi 

Kt— B3 

22. 

QxQ 

RxQ 

23- 

RxR 

PxR 

24. 

Kt-Q4 

Kt-K  5 

25- 

Kt— K 2 

K— B I 

The  Black  King  now  pushes  forward  irresistibly,  and  attacks 
the  weakened  pawns  on  the  King’s  wing.  The  White  King 
cannot  get  any  nearer,  as  a check  by  the  Black  Kt  would  win 
a pawn  at  once.  The  end  is  easy. 

26.  P— B 3 K— K 2 

27.  K— B2  K— K3 

28.  P— Kt  3 Kt— B 7 

29.  Kt— Q 4 ch  K — B 3 

30.  P— K R 4 P— K R 4 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


132 

Now  the  P at  Kt  3 is  “ backward  ” and  therefore  lost. 


31.  P— B 4 

32.  Kt — K 2 

33-  K— Q3 

34.  K— B3 

35.  P— Kt  4 

36.  K-Q  4 
Resigns. 


Kt— F 5 
K— B4 
Kt— B 7 ch 
K— Kt  5 
Kt— K 5 ch 
KtxP 


Game  No.  3 

White  : Spielmann.  Black  : Prokes. 

Vienna  Game  (compare  p.  35). 


1.  P— K 4 

2.  Kt-Q  B 3 

3.  P-B  4 

4.  PxKP 

5-  Q— B 3 


P— K 4 
Kt— K B 3 

P-Q4 

KtxP 


It  is  contrary  to  the  principles  governing  sound  play  to 
bring  out  the  Queen  early  in  the  game.  The  opponent  fre- 
quently has  an  opportunity  of  gaining  a move  by  driving  off 
the  Queen,  developing  a minor  piece  at  the  same  time.  In 
the  present  case  Black  might  have  gained  the  advantage  in 
the  following  way  ; 5...O  Kt — B 3.  Now  if  : 6 Kt  xKt  then 
Kt-Q  5 ! ; 7 Q-Q  3 ?rPxKt;  8 QxP  ?,  B-K  B 4.  If, 
however,  6 B — Kt  5,  Black  obtains  the  better  game  by 
playing  6. . .Kt  x Kt  ; 7 Kt  P x Kt,  Q — R 5 ch ; 8 P — Kt  3, 
Q — K 5 ch  ; 9 Q X Q,  P X Q ; 10  B x Kt  ch,  P x B,  with  two 
Bishops  on  open  diagonals.  There  is  no  harm  in  the  doubled 
pawn,  as  White  cannot  attack  it.  Black’s  immediate  threat 
is  B — R 3 or  K B 4,  which  exerts  pressure  at  Q 6,  and  White 
will  find  it  difficult  to  advance  his  Q P. 

5 P-K  B 4 


This  move  is  open  to  discussion,  as  the  Kt  which  it  means 
to  support  can  be  driven  away  by  P — Q 3.  On  the  other  hand, 
if  White  does  play  his  Q P to  Q 3,  Black  can  prevent  its  further 
advance  by  P— Q 5,  after  which  the  White  K P is  insecure 
and  the  K B somewhat  shut  in. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES  133 

6.  P— Q 3 KtxKt 

7.  PxKt  P— Q5 

8.  Q— B 2 ! 

White  offers  his  Q B P in  order  to  be  able  to  strengthen  his 
centre  by  P — Q 4,  and  to  free  his  pieces.  To  protect  his  Q B P 
would  be  inferior,  e.g.  8 Kt — K 2,  Kt — B 3 or  8 B — Kt  2 ?, 
P X P ; 9 B X P,  B — Kt  5 ! ; 10  B x B,  Q x R 5 ch  ; ii  Q — B 2, 
QxB  ch  ; 12  Q— Q 2,  Q— Q 5. 

8 PxP? 

It  would  have  been  better,  of  course,  to  continue  developing 
with  Kt — B 3,  which  at  the  same  time  maintains  the  pressure 
on  Q 5. 

9.  P-Q  4 B-K  3 

10.  Kt — R 3 


Intending  Kt — B 4 with  a view  to  exchanging  the  Bishop. 
After  that.  Black’s  position  on  White  squares  is  weak  specially 
on  the  diagonal  Q R 7,  K Kt  i,  which  was  opened  by  Black’s 
fifth  move,  and  on  which  the  White  Bishop  can  soon  operate. 
The  game  is  instructive  in  showing  the  development  of  that 
idea. 

10 B — K 2 

11.  Kt— B 4 Q — Q 2 

12.  Kt  X B Q X Kt 

13.  B— Q 3 P— K Kt  3 

Black  cannot  prevent  White’s  threat  of  Q — K 2 and  B — B 4. 

14.  Q— K 2 0— Q 4 


Diag.  102. 


Q X Q P cb 


15.  Castles 


134  CHESS  STRATEGY 

Black  is  obliging.  The  opening  of  files  in  the  centre  is  favour- 
able for  Wliite,  as  he  can  make  use  of  his  Rooks  in  the  com- 
bined attack.  Instead  of  the  move  in  the  text,  development 
with  Kt — B 3 and  Castles  Q R was  the  last,  though  slender, 
chance  of  saving  the  game. 

16.  B — K 3 Q — Q 4 

If  Q X P,  Q — B 2 followed  by  B — Q 4,  B — K 4,  K R — K i and 
Q R — Q I.  Black  has  no  sufficient  means  of  defence  to  oppose 
this  massing  of  forces. 

17.  Q R — Q I Q — R 4 

18.  BxB  P 

The  end  is  swift,  and  easy  to  understand. 


18. 

R— B I 

19. 

Q-Kt4 

PxB 

20. 

Q— R 5 ch 

R— B 2 

21. 

p K 6 

Resigns. 

Game  No.  4 

White  : Tarrasch.  Black  : Capablanca. 

Giuoco  Piano 

1.  P—K  4 P— K 4 

2.  Kt— K B 3 Kt— Q B 3 

3.  B — B 4 B — B 4 

4.  P-B  3 

The  beginning  of  interesting  operations  in  the  centre.  The 
steady  development  with  : 4 P — Q 3,  P — Q 3 ; 5 Kt — B 3, 
Kt — B 3 ; 6 B — K Kt  5,  B — K 3 or  Castles  tends  to  a draw 
from  the  very  first,  and  is  thought  dull. 

4... Kt-B3 

Black  can  avoid  the  exchange  of  pawns,  which  White  tries 
to  bring  about  after  P — Q 4,  by  playing  his  Queen  to  K 2. 
This  covers  his  K P a second  time,  and  White’s  P — Q 4 can  be 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES  135 

answered  with  B — Kt  3.  White’s  Q B P then  obstructs  the 
Kt’s  natural  development . In  a game  von  Schewe-Teichmann 
(Berlin,  1907)  the  position  discussed  on  p.  117  was  reached 
after  the  following  moves  : 5 Castles,  P — O 3 ; 6 P — Q 4, 
B^Kt  3 ; 7 P-Q  R 4,  P—0  R 3 ; 8 P— R ?,  B— R 2. 

5.  P— Q4  PxP 

6.  PxP  B— Ktsch 


The  pawn  sacrifice  by  7 Kt — B 3,  Kt  x K P ; 8 Castles  ! is 
much  more  interesting  and  more  in  keeping  with  the  spirit  of 
the  opening.^  White  obtains  a quick  development  and  pre- 
vents Black  from  freeing  his  game  by  playing  P — Q 4.  After 
8...BxKt;  9 P — Q 5 follows  (Holier  attack),  and  after 

* The  following  two  short  games  will  give  an  idea  of  the  various  lines  of  attack 
which  are  to  be  found  in  this  opening : 

a.  Howell  - Michell  (cable  match,  England  - America,  1907):  8...  BxKt; 
9 P — Q 5 (Mbller  attack),  B — B 3;  10  R — K i,  Kt — K 2;  ii  RxKt,  P — Q 3 ; 

12  B — Kt  5,  Bx  B;  13  KtxB,  B — B 4 (the  only  chance  of  a draw  would  be  this: 
Castles  ; 14  Kt  x R P,  K x Kt ; 1 5 Q R 5 ch,  K — Kt  i ; i6  R— R 4,  P — K B 4 1 ; 
17  B — K 2,  Kt — Kt  3 ! ; 18  Q — R 7 ch,  K — B 2 ; 19  R— R 6,  Kt — B 5 ; 20 
B— R 5 ch,  Kt  X B ; 21  Q — Kt  6 with  perpetual  check) ; 14  Q — B 3,  Q — Q 2 (B  x R ; 

1 5 Q X P ch  followed  by  Q — K 6 ch  and  Q x B)  ; 15  B — Kt  5!,QxB;  16  QxB, 
P — K B 3;  17  Q R — K I,  PxKt;  18  RxKt  ch  and  mate  in  a few  moves. 

h.  X V.  Y,  first  10  moves  as  before;  ii  RxKt,  Castles;  12  P — Q 6,  PxP 

13  B— K Kt  5,  Kt — B 4;  14  Q — Q 5!,  BxB;  15  KtxB,  Kt— R 3 (QxKt; 

16  Q X P ch) ; 16  Q R — K i,  resigns. 


136  CHESS  STRATEGY 

9...B — B 3,  White  wins  back  his  piece  by  R — K i (lo  PxKt 
would  not  be  good,  as  Black  could  free  his  game  by  Kt  P x P 
and  P — Q 4).  On  the  other  hand,  after  8...Kt  xKt ; P xKt, 
White  in  addition  gains  a move,  as  B x P is  countered  by 

Q-Kt  3. 

As  played  here.  Black  succeeds  in  playing  P — Q 4,  and  the 
game  is  even.  Indeed  the  isolated  Q P is  a weakness  in  the 
White  position. 


7- 

B X B ch 

8. 

Q KtxB 

P-Q  4 ! 

9- 

PxP 

K KtxP 

10. 

Q-Kt  3 

Q Kt— K 2 

II. 

Castles  K R 

Castles 

12. 

K R— K 1 

P— Q B 3 

Now  the  Knight  is  securely  posted  in  the  centre,  and  Black 
can  accumulate  forces  for  the  attack  on  the  White  Q P,  pos- 
sibly by  Q — Kt  3,  R — Q i,  and  Kt — B 4. 

13.  P— Q R 4 

in  order  to  drive  the  Queen  from  her  Kt  3,  but  this  advance 
is  “ three-edged,”  as  Master  Gregory  would  say,  and  the  pawn 
is  sure  to  prove  weak  in  the  end-game. 

13 Q— Kt  3 

14.  Q-R  3 B-K  3 

15.  P— R 5 Q— B 2 

16.  Kt— K 4 

Kt — K Kt  5 would  seem  to  be  stronger  here.  B^ — B 4 would 
then  be  answered  by  17  B — Q 3.  After  B x B,  18  Q x B,  White 
obtains  opportunities  for  a King’s  side  attack,  in  which  the 
Rook  could  co-operate  via  K 4 and  Kt  4 or  R 4. 

16 Q R-Q  I 

17.  Kt — B 5 B — B I 

18.  P— K Kt  3 ? 

This  produces  weak  points  at  K B 3 and  K R 3,  and  there 
being  as  yet  no  definite  threat  in  Black’s  Kt — B 5,  should  have 
been  avoided.  It  is  of  course  difficult  to  formulate  a plan 
of  attack,  for  there  is  no  weak  place  in  Black’s  armour.  In 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


^37 

any  case  White  could  safely  have  played  Q R — Q i and  Q 2 in 
order  to  double  the  Rooks  on  the  King’s  file  or  Queen’s  file  ac- 
cording to  circumstances.  But  now  as  soon  as  a Rook  moves 
to  Q I — and  that  will  have  to  be  done  in  the  end,  to  support 
the  weak  Q P — Black’s  B — Kt  5 might  become  awkward. 

18 Kt— B 4 

19.  Q R-Q  I Kt-Q  3 ! 

20.  B X Kt  Kt — Kt  4 

avoiding  an  isolated  pawn  in  a subtle  manner. 


Diag.  104. 


21.  Q — Kt  4 R xB 

22.  Kt — Q 3 B — Kt  5 

23.  Q Kt— K 5 P— R 4 

24.  KtxB  PxKt 

25.  Kt — R 4 

Kt — K 5 would  be  answered  by  K R — Q i ; 26  Kt  x P,  Kt  x P 
threatening  both  Kt — B 6 ch  and  Kt — B 7.  If  White  stops 
both  threats  with  Q — B 3,  Kt — K 7 ch  wins. 

25 K R— Q I 

26.  R— K 7 Q— Q 3 

Now  Black  foregoes  his  well-earned  advantage.  He  overlooks 
White’s  subtle  move  28.  P — R 6.  26  Q — B i was  indicated. 
White’s  Queen’s  Pavm  could  not  escape,  and  there  was  time 
to  dislodge  the  White  Rook  from  the  seventh  by  R — Q 2,  e g. 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


138 

26,..Q— B i;  27  Q— Kt  3!,  Q R— Q 2 ; 28  Q— K 3,  RxR; 
29  QxR,  Kt  xP. 


27. 

QxQ 

KtxQ 

28. 

P— R6! 

PxP 

29. 

RxR  P 

Kt— Kt . 

30. 

RxR  P 

KtxP 

31- 

K— B I 

P— Kt  4 

32. 

Kt— Kt  2 

Kt— B 6 

33- 

RxR 

PxR! 

The  pawn  threatens  to  queen.  Taking  the  Rook’s  pawn  would 
not  be  so  good,  as  it  would  displace  the  Knight.  White  would 
not  only  regain  the  pawn  easily  with  Kt — K 3,  but  would  also 
get  his  King  into  play. 

34.  Kt— K I R— K I 

Here  R — Q B i affords  winning  possibilities  for  Black. 
On  account  of  the  threat  of  R — B 8,  the  exchange  of  Knights 
by  White  would  be  forced,  and  his  game  would  have  been  badly 
cramped  by  the  Black  K B P,  e.g.  34... R — Q B i ; 35  Kt  xKt, 
P xKt  ; 36  R— R I (K— K i ?,  R— B 7 ; 37  R— Q 6,  R— K 7 
ch  ; 38  K — B I,  R X P ; 39  K — K i,  R — K 7 ch  ; 40  K — B i, 
R — K 4),  R — Kt  I ; 37  R — Kt  i,  R — Kt  6.  After  the  move 
in  the  text  the  game  is  drawn. 

35.  KtxKt  PxKt 

36.  R-Q  6 R-Q  B I 

There  is  nothing  in  this  move,  as  the  Black  passed  pawn  is  now 
attacked. 

37.  K— K I R— K I ch 

38.  K — B I R — Q B I 

Drawn. 


Game  No.  5 

White  ; R.  C.  Griffith.  Black : W.  H.  Gunston. 

Giuoco  Piano. 

1.  P— K 4 P— K 4 

2.  Kt— K B 3 Kt— Q B 3 

3.  B— B 4 B— B 4 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


139 


4.  P— B 3 Kt— B 3 

5-  P— Q3 

P — Q 4 would  seem  to  be  the  logical  consequence  of  P — B 3, 
and  therefore  preferable.  After  the  text  move  Black  will 
sooner  or  later  be  able  to  enforce  the  advance  of  his  own  pawn 
to  Q 4,  and  his  pieces  will  then  have  the  greater  mobility. 

5 P— Q 3 

Here  Black  might  have  played  P — Q 4 at  once.  For  if 
White  takes  the  pawn,  he  leaves  Black  in  possession  of  the 
pawn  in  the  centre.  If  he  does  not  do  so  but  plays  B — Q Kt  5 
instead,  Black’s  reply  would  be  Q — K 2 and  the  exchange  of 
pawns  at  K 5 would  follow.  White’s  P — B 3 is  then  clearly 
a lost  move. 


6. 

B-K3 

B-Kt3 

7- 

Q Kt-Q  2 

Kt— K 2 

8. 

Kt— B I 

P— B3 

9- 

Q-K2 

Castles 

10. 

Kt— Kt  3 

P-Q4 

II. 

PxP 

PxP 

12. 

B-Kt3 

Kt— Kt  3 

Black  has  now  the  superior  position  on  account  of  his 
pawn  centre. 

13.  Castles  K R B — B 2 

14.  B— Kt  5 P— K R 3 

15.  BxKt  PxB 

There  is  nothing  in  the  weakness  at  Black’s  K B 3 and 
K R 3 caused  by  the  disappearance  of  his  K Kt  Pawn,  as  White 
has  lost  his  K B.  On  the  contrary  the  open  file  should  be  a 
distinct  asset,  for,  having  a strong  centre.  Black’s  pieces  are 
more  mobile  and  he  is  more  likely  to  get  an  attack. 


16.  Q — K 3 K — R 2 

17.  P— K R 3 

in  order  to  play  Kt — R 5,  which  otherwise  would  be  answered 
by  B— Kt  5. 

17 K R— Kt  I 

18.  K— R I P— B 4 

19.  Kt— R 5 B— K 3 

B X P was  threatened. 


T40 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


20.  R— K Kt  I P— B 5 


P — K 5 would  seem  to  be  better,  as  it  opens  a diagonal 
for  the  K B,  and  a diagonal,  too,  for  the  Q B,  as  White  has  to 
exchange  the  pawns.  Indeed  Black  would  soon  have  ob- 
tained a winning  advantage,  e.g.  20.,. P — K 5;  21  PxF 
(Kt — R 2,  Q — R 5 ; 22  Q — K 2,  Kt — K 4),  B P x P ; 22  Kt — R 2, 
Q-R  5 ; 23  Q-K  2 (P— K Kt  4 or  B-Q  i,  P-B  4),  Kt-K  4, 
threatening  Kt — Kt  5 and  Kt — Q 6.  As  it  is.  White  gains  a 
little  time,  although  Black’s  position  still  remains  superior. 

21.  Q — K 2 Q — K 2 

22.  P — Kt  4 P — B 3 

to  prevent  P — Kt  5. 

23.  R — Kt  2 Q R — K I 

24.  R— K I Q— B 2 

25.  Kt~Q2 

intending  to  play  P — B 3,  thus  retarding  Black’s  P — K 5, 
which  is  still  hanging  over  White  like  Damocles’  sword.  The 
move,  however,  lets  in  the  Knight. 

25.  Kt — R 5 

26.  R— R2  P— B4 

27.  P— B 3 P— K 5 

Now  this  move  is  no  longer  feasible,  as  \VTiite’s  brilliant 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


141 

sacrifice  demonstrates.  To  make  the  move  possible,  long 
preparations  would  have  been  necessary,  such  as  ; R — Kt  3, 
B — Q 2 — B 3,  etc. 


28.  Q PxP 

Q PxP 

29.  Kt  X K P 

PxKt 

30.  Q X P ch 

R-Kt  3 

31.  R (R  2) — K 2 

The  scene  has  changed  with  startling  suddenness.  White 

has  open  files  and  diagonals  for  all  his  forces,  whilst  Black’s 

pieces  are  immobilised.  Whatever  he  plays.  Black  must  lose 

the  piece  he  has  gained. 

31 

B-Q3 

32.  Q— Q 3 

BxB 

33.  RxR 

Q-B5 

He  cannot  play  B — Q 4 on  account  of  Q — Q 4. 

34.  Kt — B 6 ch 

K— Kt  2 

35-  Q R— K 7 ch 

BxR 

36.  R X B ch 

KxKt 

37-  Q— Q 6 ch 

Resigns. 

Game 

No.  6 

White  : Mason. 

Black  : Gunsberg. 

Giuoco  Piano. 

H 

1 

P— K 4 

2.  Kt— K B 3 

Kt-Q  B 3 

3.  B— B 4 

B— B 4 

4-  P— Q 3 

P-Q  3 

5.  b-k  3 

B— Kt3 

6.  P-B  3 

Kt-B3 

7.  Q Kt-Q  2 

Q-K2 

8.  P-Q  R 4 

A lost  move.  The  logical  continuation  is  Kt — B i — Kt  3 

and  Castles. 

8 

B-K  3 

9.  B— Q Kt  5 

BxB 

Generally  speaking,  exchanges  such  as  this  are  doubtful. 
However,  in  the  present  case,  although  it  opens  the  B file  for 


142  CHESS  STRATEGY 

White,  White  cannot  prevent  Black  from  obtaining  the  same 
advantage. 

10.  PxB  P— Q R 3 

Black  gives  up  the  move  he  has  gained.  There  is  no  justi- 
fication for  this,  as  nothing  prevents  him  from  proceeding 
with  his  development  at  once  with  lo. . .Castles. 

11.  B xKt  ch  PxB 

12.  P — Q Kt  4 

White  is  anxious  lest  his  Kt  P should  be  made  "back- 
ward ” by  P — Q R 4 and  P — B 4.  This  is  one  of  the  draw- 
backs of  the  premature  advance  of  the  Q R P. 


12 

13.  Castles 

14.  Q— K 2 

15.  PxP 

16.  P— K 4 

17.  Kt — B 4 

18.  Kt— K 3 

19.  P — B 4 


Castles  K R 
Kt— Kt  5 
P— K B 4 
BxP 
B-Q2 
Kt— B3 
P— Kt3 


This  creates  a weakness  at  Q 4. 

Unimportant  as  it  appears  to  be,  it  is  the  cause  of  the  loss 
of  the  game,  as  the  opposing  Knight  gets  in  ultimately.  The 
doubling  of  the  Rooks  on  the  K B file  would  seem  to  be  the 
best  plan. 

19  Kt — R 4 

20.  P — Kt  3 

White’s  weaknesses  at  K B 3 and  K R 3 are  more  damaging 
than  the  corresponding  ones  in  the  Black  camp,  as  Black  still 
possesses  a Bishop  of  the  same  colour  as  the  weakened  squares. 
But  the  move  is  now  compulsory  ; for  were  White  to  allow 
the  Black  Knight  to  his  K B 5,  and  to  drive  him  off  then  with 
P — Kt  3,  the  Knight  could  play  to  his  R 6 and  prevent  the 
doubling  of  the  White  Rooks. 

20  B— R 6 

21.  R — B 2 Kt — Kt  2 

22.  Q — Kt  2 

White  begins  to  operate  in  the  centre  and  on  the  Q wing, 
as  his  position  on  the  K side  begins  to  be  doubtful.  The 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES  143 

intention  is  to  play  P — Q 4,  which,  however,  Black  opposes 
at  once. 

22 Kt— K 3 


If  now  White  plays  P — Q 4,  he  loses  a piece  by  P x P ; 
24  Kt  X P ?,  R X R ; 25  K X R,  Q — B 3 ch. 

23.  R — K I 


The  Rook  has  no  future  here,  and  R — Q i,  in  order  to  play 
P — Q 4,  is  more  logical.  But  as  Black  obviously  threatens 
to  double  his  Rooks  on  the  K B file,  it  would  be  advisable 
to  play  for  an  exchange  of  Rooks,  with : Kt — Kt  2,  Q R — B i 
and  Kt — K i. 


23 

24.  0 R— K 2 

25.  Kt — K I 

26.  R — Q 2 

27.  Kt  (K  3)— Kt  2 

28.  KxB 


R— B 2 
Q R— K B I 

Kt-Q5 

Q-Kt4 

BxKt 


Kt  xB  is  frustrated  by  Kt — B 6 ch. 

28 Q— K 6 

All  the  Black  forces  are  now  in  action,  and  White  has  no 
defence,  as  his  pieces  can  hardly  move. 

29.  K— B I Kt— Kt  6 ! 

Resigns. 

If  R — K 2 or  B 2,  there  follows  RxR  ch;  31  RxR, 
Kt— Q 7 ch  ; 32  QxKt,  QxQ, 


144 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


Game  No.  7 

White  : Marshall.  Black  ; Tarrasch. 

Max  Lange  Attack. 


I.  P— K 4 
2-  P— Q 4 
3.  Kt— K B 3 
i B-Q  B 4 

5.  Castles 


P— K4 
PxP 

Kt-Q  B 3 
B— B 4 
Kt— B3 


Black  can  avoid  the  complications  of  the  Max  Lange  attack 
by  5...P — Q 3.  In  that  case  White  cannot  recover  the  pawn, 
and  in  order  to  develop  his  Q Kt  effectively,  would  have  to 
play  P — B 3,  aiming  at  rapid  development  in  return,  after 
6. . .P  X P ; 7 Kt  X P.  But  Black  can  frustrate  this  plan  either 
by  pushing  his  pawn  to  Q 6,  so  that  the  Q Kt  is  barred 
from  the  square  B 3,  or  by  playing  B — K Kt  5 with  this 
probable  continuation  ; 7 Q — Kt  3,  B x Kt ; 8 B x P ch,  K — B i; 
9 PxB,  Kt — B 3,  and  Black  has  the  better  game,  for  Mdiite’s 
King’s  side  is  broken  up  and  his  pieces  undeveloped,  while 
Black  has  prospects  of  attack  on  the  open  K B file. 

6.  P-K  5 P-Q  4 

7.  PxKt  PxB 

8.  R— K I ch  B— K 3 

9.  Kt-Kt  5 Q-Q  4 


Diag.  107. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


145 

This  is  the  typical  position  in  the  Max  Lange  attack. 
With  his  ninth  move  White  threatened  to  win  a piece  by 
Kt  xB  and  Q — R 5 ch.  Black  could  not  parry  the  threat  by 
9...Q — Q 3,  on  account  of  P xP  followed  by  Kt — K 4 — B 6 ch. 
The  position  in  the  diagram  appears  to  be  favourable  for  Black, 
as  all  his  minor  pieces  are  in  play,  whilst  White’s  development 
is  somewhat  restricted  by  Black’s  strong  pawns  at  Q B 5 
and  Q 5.  For  a long  time  this  opening  has  not  been  played 
in  tournaments,  being  considered  unsatisfactory  for  White. 
With  the  present  game,  and  his  new  move  of  15  B — R 6,  Mar- 
shall has  reopened  the  question  as  to  whether  White’s  attack 
on  the  K file  plus  the  pawn  at  K Kt  7 is  sufficiently  tempting. 

10.  Kt — Q B 3 Q — B 4 

11.  Q Kt — K 4 Castles  Q R 

This  is  imperative.  If  Black  retires  the  Bishop  from  his 
unsafe  position.  White  permanently  prevents  Black  from 
castling,  which  is  bound  to  be  fatal  in  view  of  the  open  K 
file — e.g.  II... B — Kt  3 ; 12  PxP,  R — K Kt  i ; 13  P — K Kt  4, 
Q — Kt  3 ; i4KtxB,  PxKt;  15  B — Kt5,  RxP;  16  Q — B3 
with  a violent  attack. 

12.  Kt  xQ  B 

If  White  tries  to  win  the  exchange  in  the  following  way  : 
12  P — K Kt  4,  Q — K 4 ! ; 13  Kt — K B 3,  Q — Q 4 ; 14  P x P 
followed  by  Kt — B 6,  Black  can  initiate  a promising  counter 
attack  by  14...BXP!!;  15  PxR=Q,  RxQ;  16  Kt — B 6, 
Q X Kt ; 17  Q X Q,  B X Q.  In  this  case  White  exposes  his 
King’s  side  by  P — K Kt  4 in  order  to  benefit  from  the  unstable 
position  of  the  Black  K B,  but  unless  care  is  taken,  he  can 
easily  fall  a victim  to  an  attack  on  the  open  K Kt  file 

12 PxKt 

13.  P-K  Kt  4 Q-K  4 

Not  Q — Q 4,  on  account  of  P x P and  Kt — B 6. 

14.  PxP  KR— Kti 

15.  B— R 6 

This  is  Marshall’s  innovation.  It  gets  the  Bishop  out  of 
play,  as  P — Kt  5 must  necessarily  follow,  yet  the  pawn  at 

K 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


146 

Kt  7 holds  the  Black  Rook,  and  there  is  a permanent  threat 
of  Kt — B 6 either  winning  the  exchange  or,  if  the  Knight  is 
taken,  giving  White  a pair  of  formidable  passed  pawns. 


P-Q6 
B — Q 3 


15 

16.  P — B 3 


This  is  quite  to  White’s  liking,  since  he  wishes  to  advance 
his  centre  pawns.  Black’s  only  chance  of  escaping  disaster 
would  be  : B — K 2,  with  R — Q 2,  Kt — Q i — B 2.  In- 
stead of  this,  his  next  few  moves  do  not  reveal  any  concerted 
plan,  and  he  loses  in  a surprisingly  short  time. 


17.  P — B 4 

18.  Q — B 3 

19.  P — Kt  5 

20.  Kt — Kt  3 


In  manoeuvring  his  Q,  Black  has  achieved  nothing  either  for 
counter  attack  or  defence.  Now  White  has  numerous  attacking 
chances.  He  first  turns  his  attention  to  the  K P. 


QR-Ki 
P— Kt  4 


21.  Q — Kt  4 

22.  R — K 4 ! 

23.  P— Q R 4 


and  now  even  the  Q R takes  part  in  the  assault.  Black’s 
game  is  hopeless. 


P— R3 
PxP 


23 

24.  PxP 

25.  K— Kt  2 


attacking  the  K P by  avoiding  the  check. 


Kt-Qi 
Q-Kt3 
P— B3 


25- 


26.  Q— B3 

27-  R— Q 4 
28.  RxKt  ch 


KxR 


29.  QxP 


Resigns. 


After  this,  no  master  has  tried  to  defend  a "Max 
Lange  ” in  an  international  tournament. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


147 


Game  No.  8 

White  : Blackbume.  Black  : Em.  Lasker. 

Scotch  Game. 


I. 


2. 

3- 

4- 

5- 


P— K 4 
Kt— K B 3 

P-Q4 

KtxP 

B-K3 


P— K 4 
Kt-Q  B 3 
PxP 
B— B 4 

Q-B3 


The  threat  Kt  x Kt  and  B x B must  be  met  in  some  way. 
P — Q 3 is  not  satisfactory,  for  Black  remains  with  a trebled 
pawn  after  the  double  exchange.  An  alternative  to  the  text 
move  is  B — Kt  3.  Q — B 3,  however,  has  the  advantage  of 
developing  a piece,  and  although  it  is  the  Queen,  White  has  no 
early  opportunity  of  driving  the  same  off,  such  as  he  often 
obtains  when  the  Queen  comes  out  so  soon  in  the  game. 


6.  P— QB3 

7.  Kt— B 2 

In  order  to  develop  the  Q Kt. 

7 


K Kt— K 2 


P-Q  Kt  3 ! 


Out  of  three  possible  moves,  Lasker  selects  the  one  which 
contributes  most  to  development.  B — Kt  3 does  nothing  in 
that  direction,  and  BxB  would  bring  the  White  Knight 
further  into  play.  The  text  move  prepares  the  development 
of  the  B at  Kt  2 with  the  option  of  Castles  Q R.  If  White 
exchanges  Bishops  he  gives  up  the  command  of  his  Q 4. 
Black’s  P — Q 3 might  have  had  the  same  result,  but  then  the 
exchange  would  have  given  White  a majority  of  pawns  on  the 
K side,  whilst  White’s  three  Q side  pawns  would  have  held 
the  black  Q side  pawns,  one  of  the  latter  being  doubled. 

8.  Kt-Q  2 Q-Kt  3 

The  exchange  of  Bishops  allows  White  to  play  Kt — K 3, 
thus  avoiding  the  weakening  move  P — K Kt  3.  9 B — K B 4 
is  answered  by  P — Q 4 !. 

9.  BxB 

10.  Kt— K3 

11.  P— Q Kt  3 

12.  B — B 4 


PxB 

R— Q Kt  I 
Castles 


148  CHESS  STRATEGY 

To  prevent  Black’s  P — B 4. 

At  first  sight  it  seems  as  if  the  Q B P ought  to  move  to  B 4, 
as  the  advance  of  the  Q Kt  P has  weakened  it.  But  White 
dares  not  allow  a Black  Knight  to  settle  at  Q 5. 

12 P— Q 3 

13.  P— B4! 


Black  threatens  to  play  K — R i in  order  to  play  P — B 4. 
White’s  position  would  then  be  very  bad,  and  therefore  he 
rightly  decides  to  anticipate  the  move,  even  at  the  cost  of  a 
pawn.  In  order  to  gain  the  Q B P Black  must  waste  a number 
of  moves  with  the  Q,  and  White  gains  time  for  a King’s  side 
attack.  The  pawn  sacrifice  is  very  promising  indeed. 

13 O — B 3 

14.  Castles  Q X Q B P 

15.  R— B3 

There  seem  to  be  many  threats  here,  and  the  position  is  a 
difficult  one  to  fathom.  After  disentangling  his  Queen,  Black 
tries  very  hard  to  force  his  P — B 4.  As  soon  as  he  succeeds  in 
this  he  has  a won  game,  for  the  open  file  is  available  both  for 
defence  and  counter-attack. 

15 Q—Q  5 

16.  K— R I B— K 3 

17.  R — Q B I B X B 

j8.  R X B Q — Kt  7 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


140 

Q — B 3 is  impossible  apart  from  the  fact  that  it  would 
block  the  K B P,  e.g.  18. . .Q — B 3 ; 19  P— K 5,  P x P ; 

20  Kt — K 4,  etc. 

19.  R— Q B 2 Q— B 3 

Now  the  attack  shown  in  the  last  note  could  be  answered 
with  Q — R 5. 

20.  Kt — Kt  4 

Here  P — K Kt  4 could  be  answered  by  Kt — Q 5,  e.g. 

21  P — Kt  5,  Q — Kt  3 ; 22  R — Kt  3,  P — B 4. 

Q— Kt  3 

-Kt  3 P— B 4 

Q-K3 


20. 

21. 

22. 
23- 
24. 


R- 

Kt— K 5 

Kt  X Kt  Kt  X Kt 

P— K 5 Kt— Kt  5 ! 

This  prevents  the  Rook  from  occupying  the  Q file  which  is 
about  to  be  opened. 


unanswerable 


25.  R— B 4 

PxP 

26.  Q — R I 

Q-Q2! 

If  now  QxP,  Black  plays 

R — B 2 with  1 

threats  of  R — K i or  Q i. 

27.  Kt — B 3 

PxP 

28.  Kt— K 5 

Q-K2 

29.  RxK  B P 

Q R-K  I 

30.  Kt — B 4 

Q— K 8 ch 

31.  R— B I 

QxQ 

32.  RxQ 

KtxP 

33.  P— R3 

P-Bs 

34.  R—Q  3 

Kt-Kt  5 

35-  R—Q? 

P— B 6 ! 

36.  PxP 

RxP 

37.  R xR P 

Kt-Q6 

threatens  mate  in  six. 

38.  R— R I 

Kt— K 8 

mate  is  again  threatened. 

39.  Kt— Q 2 

R xP  ch 

40.  K— Kt  I 

R— Kt  6 ch 

41.  K — R 2 

R-Q6I 

CHESS  STRATEGY 


150 


42. 

RxKt 

R X Kt  ch 

43- 

RxR 

RxR 

44. 

R-Q7 

R— K 6 

45- 

RxP 

RxP 

46. 

RxP 

P~R3 

47- 

R— B 6 

A few  more  moves  “ for  fun.” 


47- 

K— R2 

48. 

K— Kt  2 

P— R4 

49- 

R— R6 

P— Kt  3 

50. 

R— R4 

K-R3 

51- 

R-QB4 

R — Kt  7 ch 

52. 

K— Kt  3 

K— Kt  4 

53- 

R— B 3 

P— R 5 ch 

54- 

K— R3 

K— R4 

55- 

R— B 4 

R — Kt  6 ch 

56. 

K— R2 

P— Kt  4 

57- 

R— R4 

R — Kt  7 ch 

58. 

K — R sq 

P— R6 

.59- 

R-QB4 

P— Kt  5 

60. 

K— Kt  sq 

P— Kt  6 

61. 

R — B 5 ch 

K— Kt  3 

62. 

R — B sq 

K— B4 

63- 

R — R sq 

R— Q 7 

64. 

R— K sq 

K-Bs 

6.5- 

R — R sq 

K— K 6 

66. 

R — R 3 ch 

R— Q 6 

67. 

R — R sq 
Resigns. 

K— K7 

Game  No.  9 

White  : Salwe.  Black  ; Marshall. 

Two  Knights’  Defence 


1.  P— K 4 

2.  Kt— K B 3 

3.  B — B 4 

4.  Kt— Kt  5 


P— K 4 
Kt-Q  B 3 
Kt— B3 


This  attack  may  be  tempting,  as  the  B P cannot  be  pro- 
tected, but  it  is  against  that  elementary  principle  which  says 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


151 

that  no  attack  should  be  undertaken  in  the  opening  until  the 
minor  pieces  are  mobilised,  provided  of  course  that  Black 
also  has  made  sound  opening  moves.  There  is  every  likelihood 
that  the  attack  in  the  present  instance  vdll  lead  to  nothing. 
It  has  taken  many  years  to  find  the  correct  reply,  but  now 
that  it  is  known,  the  opening  has  practically  disappeared 
from  master  practice.  Instead  of  the  move  in  the  text.  White 
can  play  either  P — Q 3,  leading  almost  unavoidably  to  a 
drawing  variation  of  the  Giuoco  piano,  or  Castles  which  might 
bring  about  the  Max  Lange  attack  after  4. . .B — B 4 ; 5 P — Q 4, 
PxP. 

4 P— Q 4 

5.  PxP  Kt— QR4! 

This  is  a typical  position  in  the  Two  Knights’  defence.  The 
former  continuation  5. . .Kt  X Q P has  long  been  abandoned,  as 
the  attack  that  White  can  initiate  by  6 Kt  x B P,  K x Kt  ; 
7 0 — B 3 ch,  forcing  the  Black  King  to  K 3,  is  dangerous 
though  the  result  is  uncertain.  The  move  in  the  text  breaks 
the  attack  from  the  very  first,  and  Black  gets  the  advantage 


Diag.  109. 


as  he  can  gain  time  by  attacking  the  two  minor  pieces  which 
it  should  be  noted,  are  unsupported,  and  in  addition  obtain  a 
speedy  development,  worth  more  than  the  pawn  given  up 
for  it. 


6 P-Q3 


152 


CHESS  STRATEGY 

B — Kt  5 ch  is  an  alternative.  The  advantage  is  Black’s 
in  this  case  also — e.g.  P — B 3;  7PXP,  PxP;  8 B — K 2, 
P— K R 3 ; 9 Kt— K B 3,  P— K 5 ; 10  Kt— K 5,  Q— B 2 ; 

11  P — Q 4,  B — Q 3 (or  PxP  e.p.  followed  by  B — Q 3) ; 

12  P — K B 4,  PxP  e.p.  ; 13  Kt  xP,  Kt — Kt  5 or  ii  P — B 4, 
B — Q 3 ; 12  P— Q 4,  P X P e.p. ; 13  Kt  x P,  Castles.  Black 
has  an  easy  game  and  open  lines. 

6 P— K R 3 

7.  Kt— K B 3 P— K 5 

8.  Q— K 2 KtxB 

9.  P X Kt  B — Q B 4 

10.  K Kt— Q 2 

The  Knight  must  move  sooner  or  later. 

10 Castles 

11.  Kt — Kt  3 B — K Kt  5 

12.  Q — B I 

A sorry  retreat,  but  the  plausible  Q — Q 2 would  be  disas- 
trous, e.g.  P — K 6 ! ; 13  P x P,  Kt — K 5 and  Q — R 5 ch 

12 B — Kt  5 ch 

Black’s  superior  development  begins  to  tell  in  no  uncertain 
fashion.  Now  White  can  neither  play  13  B — Q 2 on  account  of 
B X B ch  ; 14  Q Kt  X B,  R — K i,  followed  by  P — K 6,  nor  13  Kt 
B 3 on  account  of  B x Kt ; 14  P x B,  P — B 3 regaining  the  pawn 
and  maintaining  positional  advantage.  White  has  therefore 
no  alternative  but  P — B 3,  which  weakens  his  Q 3,  where  a 
Black  Knight  soon  settles  down. 

13.  P — B 3 B — K 2 

14.  P— K R 3 B— R 4 

15.  P — Kt  4 B — Kt  3 

At  last  White  can  castle.  He  can,  of  course,  only  castle 
on  the  Queen’s  side,  because  his  King’s  side  pawns  are  shattered. 
Now  games  in  which  the  Kings  castle  on  different  wings  are 
more  or  less  beyond  calculation,  as  pointed  out  before.  On 
the  whole,  the  player  who  first  attacks  wins.  But  experience 
has  shown  that  the  Queen’s  side  is  more  difficult  to  defend 
on  account  of  its  greater  expanse,  and  this  theory  is  sup- 
ported by  the  present  game.  In  addition,  White’s  develop 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


153 

ment  is  not  completed  yet,  whilst  all  the  Black  forces  are 
ready  to  strike. 

16.  B— K 3 Kt— Q 2 

17.  Q Kt — Q 2 Kt — K 4 

18.  C^astles  P — Kt  4 

Storming  the  position  with  pawns  is  peculiar  to  this  kind 
of  game.  The  intention  is  to  break  up  the  opposing  pawn 
position,  and  to  open  files  for  the  Rooks.  Pawns  are  cheap  in 
such  cases.  Open  lines  for  the  pieces  are  the  things  that 
matter,  and  the  fewer  pawns  there  are  left,  the  more  open 
lines  are  available  for  the  attack. 

19.  P X P Kt — Q 6 ch 

20.  K — Kt  I QxP 

21.  K — R I 

The  King  was  not  safe  on  the  diagonal.  White  wishes  to 
push  on  his  King’s  side  pawns  (P — B 4 — B 5,  and  so  on).  But 
after  P x P e.p.  there  would  be  a fatal  discovered  check  by  the 
Black  Knight. 

22 QxP 

Black’s  advantage  becomes  more  marked.  He  has  re- 
covered his  pawn,  and  for  the  ensuing  attacks  on  both  sides  he 
is  better  placed,  having  already  two  open  files  for  his  Rooks. 

22.  P — K B 4 P — Q R 4 

23.  Q R— Kt  I P— K B 4 

24.  Kt— Q 4 Q— R 5 ! 


Diag.  110. 


154 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


The  position  bristles  with  chances  for  daring  sacrifices. 
After  25  KtxB  P,  for  instance,  Black  could  play  RxKt  !; 
26  P X R,  Kt — Kt  5 ; 27  P X Kt,  P x P ; 28  P — R 3 (Q — B 4 ch  ? , 
B — B 2),  B — B 3;  29  K — R 2,  QxP  ch;  30  PxQ,  RxP 
mate. 


25.  P— Kt  3 Q— Q 2 

26.  PxP  BxP 

27.  Q — Kt  2 P — B 4 

White’s  compulsory  25  P — Kt  3 has  weakened  his  Q B 3, 
and  the  move  in  the  text  is  intended  to  open  the  diagonal 
K B 3 — Q B 6 lor  the  Black  Bishop. 


28.  KtxB 

29.  QxP 

30.  Q — B 4 ch 

31.  Kt— K 4 


QxKt 
B— B3 
K— R I 
QR-Ki 


White  cannot  parry  all  the  threats  at  once.  Though  he  gets 
rid  of  the  threatening  B,  he  lets  in  the  hostile  R on  the  K file 
and  the  end  cannot  long  be  delayed. 


32.  KtxB 

33.  B — B I 

34-  B-R  3 

35.  K R-Q  I 

36.  BxP 

37.  K— Kt  2 

and  mate  at  R 7 or  B 7. 


RxKt 
K R— K 3 
R— K7 
Kt— K 8 
Kt— B 7 ch 
Kt— Kt  5 ch 


Game  No.  10 

White : Teichmann.  Black : Amateurs  in  consultation. 
Two  Knights’  Defence. 


1.  P— K 4 

2.  Kt— K B 3 


P— K4 
Kt-Q  B 3 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


155 


3.  B— B 4 Kt-B  3 

4.  Castles 


Diag.  III. 


The  idea  underlying  this  pawn  sacrifice  is  to  open  the  K file 
for  the  Rook.  It  will  be  seen  that,  with  correct  play,  Black 
manages  to  castle  just  in  time,  and  White,  though  winning 
back  his  pawn,  has  no  advantage  in  position.  The  opening 
is  seldom  played  by  modem  masters. 

Instead  of  the  move  in  the  text.  White  can  hardly  defend 
the  K P with  Kt — B 3,  as  Black  simply  captures  the  pawn 
and  recovers  his  piece  by  P — Q 4,  with  a satisfactory  position. 
It  is  even  better  for  Black  if  VTiite  plays  6 B x P ch  in  reply 
to  5...KtxP.  The  capture  of  White’s  K P is  far  more  im- 
portant than  that  of  the  Black  K B P,  particularly  as  the 
White  Bishop,  which  could  be  dangerous  on  the  diagonal 
Q R 2 — K Kt  8,  is  exchanged,  e.g.  6...KxB;  7 KtxKt, 
P — Q 4;  8 Kt — Kt  5 ch,  K — Kt  1 1 Black  continues  P — K R 3, 
K — R 2,  R — B I and  has  open  lines  for  Rooks  and  Bishops. 

4 KtxP 

Black  can,  of  course,  develop  his  B — B 4.  Then  he  must 
either  submit  to  the  Max  Lange  attack  (5  P — Q 4,  PxP)  or 
play  B X P,  giving  up  the  useful  B,  in  which  case  he  loses  the 
pawn  gained  after  6 Kt  x B,  Kt  x Kt ; 7 P — K B 4,  P — Q 3 ; 
8PxP,  PxP;  9 B — K Kt  5,  and  eventually  Q — B 3. 

5.  P-Q  4 


156  CHESS  STRATEGY 


R — K I at  once  would  lead  to  nothing. 

5 PxP 

6.  R— K I P— Q 4 

7-  BxP  ! QxB 

8.  Kt— B 3 


This  attack  has  been  analysed  extensively  by  Steinitz 
The  only  square  where  the  Queen  cannot  be  attacked  at 
once  by  the  minor  pieces  is  at  Q i.  After  8...Q — Q i,  Black 
obtains  quite  a satisfactory  game  : 9 R x Kt  ch,  B — K 2 ; 
10  Kt  X P,  P — B 4.  This  is  Pillsbury’s  move,  intending  to 
displace  the  Rook.  Black  has  then  open  lines  for  his  two 
Bishops  as  compensation  for  his  shattered  pawn  position, 
ri  R — K B 4,  Castles;  12  KtxKt,  QxQ  ch;  13  KtxQ, 
PxKt.  Now  it  is  not  easy  to  find  a reasonable  plan  for 
White,  as  Black  threatens  to  cramp  White’s  game  with  B — Q 3 
and  P — B 5.  It  is  therefore  necessary  for  White  to  take 
measures  against  that  by  playing  R — B 4 and  B — B 4.  If 
Black  still  plays  B — Q 3,  B — B 4 follows,  with  the  intention 
of  exchanging  and  of  provoking  Black’s  P — B 4,  which  leaves 
the  Q P “backward.” 


8 

9.  KtxKt 

10.  B — Kt  5 

11.  BxB 

12.  Kt — Kt  3 

13.  QxP 

14.  Q R~Q  I 


Q-KR4 
B— K 2 
B— K3 
KtxB 

0—^3 
Castles  K R 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


157 

Now  White  is  ahead  with  his  development,  having  both  Rooks 
in  play  and  his  Queen  better  placed.  Nor  can  the  latter  be 
attacked  by  R — Q i,  as  White  would  simply  play  Q X R. 
On  the  Queen  being  driven  away  by  the  Black  Knight,  he 
exchanges  the  latter  and  plays  the  Queen  back  into  the  same 
dominating  position,  eventually  producing  a dislocation  of  the 
Black  Queen’s  side  pawns. 


14 

15-  Q— Q R 4 

16.  Kt — Q 4 ! 

17.  RxKt 

18.  QxR 
19-  Q-K  5 


Kt— B 3 

QR-Qi 

KtxKt 
RxR 
P-Q  Kt  3 
P-QB4 


It  is  instructive  to  watch  how  this  very  slight  weakness 
created  by  Black’s  advance  of  his  pawns  brings  him  into 
trouble.  A White  Knight  settles  down  at  his  Q 6,  which  is 
no  longer  guarded  by  the  Black  Q B P,  and  paralyses  the  whole 
of  Black’s  game.  Another  factor  in  Wliite’s  superiority  of  posi- 
tion is  the  possession  of  the  King’s  file.  The  Black  Rook 
cannot  move  until  the  King  gets  a loophole  by  a pawn  move. 
As  we  have  seen,  such  a pawn  move  often  affords  an  entry 
to  the  opposing  pieces. 

20.  P — K B 4 B — B 1 

Not  BxP,  of  course,  because  of  P — Q Kt  3 and  Q — Kt  2. 
The  Bishop  which  cannot  remain  at  K 3 is  to  go  to  Kt  2,  so 
that  the  threat  of  mate  after  Q — Q B 3 may  also  hold  up  a 
White  piece. 


21.  P — B 5 B — Kt  2 

22.  Q— K 7 Q— Q B 3 

23.  R — K 2 P — B 3 

Compulsory,  as  otherwise  P — B 6 forces  the  Kt  P to  advance, 
which  is  fatal  in  any  case.  After  P — Kt  3,  White  would 
cover  his  B P and  play  his  Q to  K R 6.  On  the  other  hand, 
after  P x P there  is  Kt — R 5 — B 6,  and  Black  is  in  a mating  net. 

24.  Kt— K 4 Q— Q 4 

25.  Kt— Q 6 B— B 3 


158  CHESS  STRATEGY 

The  threat  was  QxR  ch  and  R — K 8 mate, 

26.  P— K R 3 

in  order  to  retreat  to  R 2 in  case  of  Q — Q 8 ch.  In  a way 
P — K R 3 creates  a certain  weakness,  as  the  square  at  Kt  3 
is  now  defenceless,  but  Black  has  no  pieces  with  which  to 
take  advantage  of  it : his  Rook  cannot  move,  his  Bishop  is 
on  the  White  squares.  If  Black  had  a K B instead,  the  move 
would  be  very  doubtful,  because  then  Black  might  break  in 
through  White’s  K Kt  3. 

26 P — B 5 

White’s  threat  was  to  repel  the  Black  Queen  by  P — B 4 
and  to  mate  in  five  moves,  beginning  with  Q — K 6 ch. 

27.  P — B 3 P — K R 3 


Diag.  1 13. 


This  disposes  of  the  winning  of  the  Queen  by  the  threatened 
mate.  But  it  creates  a weakness  at  Black’s  Kt  3,  which 
White  exploits  in  grand  style.  He  decides  to  play  the 
King  himself  to  Kt  6,  threatening  mate  at  Kt  7.  In  spite 
of  several  raids  by  the  Black  Queen,  this  quaint  device  is 
crowned  with  success.  The  weakness  created  by  P — K R 3 
could  not  be  demonstrated  more  drastically. 

28.  K— R 2 P— Q Kt  4 

29.  K— Kt  3 P— Q R 4 

30.  K— R 4 P— Kt  3 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES  159 

If  White  were  to  play  P x P now.  Black  would  mate  him 
one  move  earlier  (Q — Kt  4).  Of  course  he  parries  the  threat 
first,  and  Black  is  helpless. 

31.  R — K 3 Q X Kt  P 

32.  R— Kt  3 Q— B 7 

After  P — Kt  4 ch  White  could  not  play  33  K — Kt  4 on 
account  of  the  pretty  mate  by  B — B 6,  He  would  play 
K— R 5— Kt  6. 

33.  PxP  Q — B 5 ch 

34.  R-Kt  4 Q-B  7 ch 

35.  K— R 5 Resigns. 

A most  instructive  game,  showing  how  the  superior  position 
of  the  pieces  can  lead  indirectly  to  a win,  by  reducing  the 
opponent’s  pieces  gradually  to  impotence  and  compelling  him 
to  move  pawns,  thereby  affording  opportunities  for  a decisive 
entry. 


Game  No.  ii 

White  : Schlechter.  Black  : Janowsld. 

Ruy  Lopez  (compare  p.  40). 

1.  P— K 4 P— K 4 

2.  Kt— K B 3 Kt— Q B 3 

3.  B— Kt  5 Kt— B 3 

4.  Castles  Kt  X P 

A continuation,  which  has  lately  gained  in  favour,  is  : P — Q 3 
and  B — K 2 (see  p.  39). 

5.  P-Q  4 B-K  2 

It  is  clearly  very  dangerous  to  gratify  White’s  wish  fcr  an 
open  file  by  playing  PxP.  The  move  may  be  playable  in  the 
system  of  defence  called  the  " Riga  variation  ” (see  Game 
No.  17).  Here  it  would  be  advantageous  to  be  able  to  close 
the  K B’s  diagonal.  It  is  better  when  intending  to  play 
the  “ Riga  variation  ” to  have  played  P — Q R 3 on  the 
third  move. 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


160 


6.  0— K 2 

7.  BxKt 

8.  PxP 

9.  Kt — B 3 
10.  R — K I 


Kt— Q 3 
Kt  PxB 
Kt— Kt  2 
Castles 
R— K I 


The  manoeuvre  cited  on  p.  40,  namely  Kt — B 4 — K 3, 
which  makes  P — Q 4 possible,  is  essential  for  the  development 
of  the  Q B.  Black  loses  the  present  game  because  White  is 
able  to  keep  the  Bishop  shut  in  permanently 

11.  Q — B 4 Kt — B 4 

so  that  the  pawn  B 3 should  not  be  "hanging ” when  the  Q P 
moves. 

12.  Kt— KKts!  BxKt 

13.  BxB  QxB 

14.  Q X Kt  R — K 3 


After  the  exchanges  the  position  is  clearly  in  favour  of 
White.  Against  an  undeveloped  B,  which  also  hampers  a 
Rook,  his  Knight  is  mobile.  The  Black  Queen’s  side  pawns 
are  weak,  and  give  White  winning  chances  even  if  Black 
succeeds  in  playing  P— Q 4 and  bringing  the  Bishop  into  play. 
The  move  in  the  text,  which  covers  the  pawn  at  B 3,  again 
prepares  for  P — Q 4. 

1.5-  Q—Q  4 B— Kt  2 

The  only  chance  lay  in  the  pawn  sacrifice  by  P — Q B 4,  after 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES  i6i 


which  the  Bishop  gets  to  Kt  2 with  a threat  of  mate,  and  the 
Q R is  free. 

16.  Q — Q Kt  4 B — B i 

17.  Kt — K 4 

Fine  play.  If  Black  captures  the  pawn,  White  obtains  a 
combined  attack  with  Q,  R,  and  Kt,  to  which  Black  can  only 
oppose  the  Q,  so  that  the  result  cannot  be  in  doubt — e.g. 
17...QXK  P : 18  Kt— B 5,  Q— Q3  ; 19  Q— Q B 4,  RxR  ch  ; 
20  R X R,  P — K R 3 ; 21  R — K 8 ch,  K — R 2 ; 22  Q — K 4 ch, 
P — Kt  3 (Q — Kt  3 ? ; 23  Q X Q,  followed  by  Kt  x P) ; 23 
Kt — Q 3 and  R — K 7. 

17 

18.  Kt— B 5 

19.  R — K 3 

20.  Q — Q 4 

21.  P — Q B 4 

preventing  R — Kt  4 

21 

22.  P — Q Kt  3 

23.  R — Q I 

24.  R— Kt  3 

25.  RxR 


Q-K2 
R— Kt  3 
P-QR4 
R— Kt  I 


P— R3 
K— R 2 
Q-Kt4 

Q-B4 

PxR 


Black  has  built  a wall  of  pawns  round  his  King,  but  it 
does  not  avail  against  the  superior  forces  which  White  can 
concentrate. 

White’s  plan  is  clear.  He  will  advance  his  pawns,  and 
break  up  those  that  surround  the  Black  King,  always  taking 
care  that  Black  does  not  free  his  Queen’s  side  meanwhile. 
His  pieces  will  then  break  in  easily,  and  Black  is  forced  to 
look  on  passively. 

26.  P— K R 3 R— R I 

27.  P— Q R 4 

to  prevent  the  sacrifice  of  a pawn  by  P — R 5,  which  would 
bring  the  Black  Rook  into  play. 


27 

28.  R — Q 3 

29.  K— R 2 


R— Kt  I 
Q— Kt  4 
Q-K2 


L 


i62 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


30.  P— B 4 Q— B 2 

31.  P— K 6 1 ! 


Diag.  1 1 5. 


A beautiful  move  which  robs  Black  of  his  last  chance  of 


freeing  his  Queen’s  side,  which  he  might  have  accomplished 
by  the  pawn  sacrifice  of  P — Q 3. 


31- 

PxP 

32. 

Q-K5 

Q— K 2 

33- 

P— K Kt  4 

R— Kts 

34- 

K-Kt3 

R— Kt  3 

35- 

P— R 4 

Q-Bi 

36. 

P-RS 

PxP 

37- 

QxRP 

R— Kt  I 

38. 

Q-K5 

R-Kt3 

39- 

40. 

P— -Kt  5 

P— Kt  6 ch 

P— R4 

The  end  is  near.  Black  must  take,  as  Q x R P forces  a speedy 
mate. 


40 K X P 

41.  Q — Kt  5 ch  K — R 2 

42.  QxR  P ch  K — Kt  I 

43-  Q— Kt  5 

threatening  R — Q 8 

43 K — B 2 

44.  R — Q 8 Q — K 2 

45.  Q— R 5 ch  Resigns. 


Loss  of  the  Queen  and  mate  in  a few  moves  cannot  be 
prevented.  Black  has  played  the  whole  game  practically  with 
two  pieces  less,  and  the  mate  was  really  only  a matter  of  time. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


163 


Game  No,  12 


White  : Teichmann.  Black  : Rubinstein. 


Ruy  Lopez  (see  p.  37). 

1.  P— K 4 P— K 4 

2.  Kt— K B 3 Kt— Q B 3 


By  exchanging  the  Bishop  White  could  not  prove  P — Q R 3 
to  be  a lost  move,  for  Black,  by  retaking  with  the  Q P,  obtains 
open  hnes  for  Q and  Q B,  and  in  addition  to  an  easy  develop- 
ment, retains  two  Bishops.  This  is  a set-off  against  a certain 
weakness  in  Black’s  game,  which  may  be  found  in  the  fact 
that  after  P — Q 4,  PxP,  White  has  four  pawns  to  three  on 
the  King’s  side,  while  his  three  pawns  on  the  Queen’s  side  are 
able  to  hold  the  four  opposing  pawns,  one  of  which  is 
doubled.  But  this  weakness  can  only  tell  in  the  end-game, 
which  is  too  far  ahead  for  practical  purposes,  and  to  which 
it  may  not  come  at  aU.  An  example  of  the  usuaMine  of  play  will 
be  found  in  Game  No.  18. 


4 

5.  Castles 


Kt— B3 
B— K 2 


6.  R— K I 

7.  B— Kt  3 

8.  P— B 3 


P-Q  Kt  4 

P-Q3 


Diag.  116. 


8 


Castles 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


164 

In  Capablanca’s  opinion  Black  should  not  castle  before 
White’s  intentions  in  the  centre  have  been  made  clear.  It 
makes  a great  difference  whether  White  plays  his  Q P to  Q 4 or 
to  Q 3 only. 

If  after  8...Q  Kt — R 4 ; 9 B — B 2,  P — B 4 White  plays: 

10  P — Q 4,  his  intention  is  to  move  his  pawn  further  to  Q 5 as 
soon  as  Black  has  castled,  and  then  to  attack  on  the  King’s 
wing  with  Q Kt — Q 2 — B i — K 3,  P — K Kt  4 and  Kt — B 5. 
For  this  reason  Black  should  force  White  to  disclose  whether  he 
intends  to  exchange  his  Q P or  to  advance  it  to  Q 5.  In  the 
latter  case  Black  can  refrain  from  castling  altogether  and 
counter-attack  on  the  King’s  wing,  e.g.,  10  P — Q 4,  Q — B 2 ; 

11  P — K R 3,  B — Q 2 ; 12  Q Kt — Q 2,  R — QB  i ; if  now  : 13 
P — Q 5 then  P — R 3 followed  by  P — Kt  4 — Kt  5 gives  Black 
many  chances.  If  on  the  contrary  13  P X P,  then  Black  need 
no  longer  fear  an  attack  on  the  King’s  side  after  he  has  castled, 
as  his  Rooks  wiU  have  a favourable  opportunity  for  operating 
on  the  open  Queen’s  file.  However,  there  is  still  the  dis- 
advantage for  Black  of  having  advanced  Queen’s  side  pawns, 
which  are  liable  to  attack  (P — Q R 4) . 

The  game  takes  a different  course  when  Black  exchanges 
the  pawns  in  the  centre.  The  continuation  would  then  be  : 

II  , Kt— B 3 ; 12  Q Kt— Q 2,  B— Q 2 ; 13  Kt— B i, 

P X P ; 14  P X P,  P X P ; 15  B — Kt  5,  Q— Kt  3.  It  is 
difficult  to  decide  which  side  has  the  advantage.  Black  has  an 
extra  pawn,  but  White  has  the  initiative. 

If  in  Diag.  116,  after  8... Castles  White  plays  g P — Q 4 at 
once.  Black  has  an  opportunity  for  the  following  interesting 
attack  : g P — Q 4,  B — Kt  5 ; 10  B — ^K  3,  Kt  x K P ; ii 
B— Q 5.  Q — Q 2 ; 12  B X K Kt,  P — Q 4 ; 13  B — B 2,  P — K 5 ; 

14  ^K  R 3,  B— R 4 ; 15  Kt— K 5,  B x Q ; 16  Kt  x Q, 

B X B ; 17  Kt  X R,  R X Kt.  White  cannot  take  advantage 
of  his  Rooks,  as  there  is  no  open  file,  whilst  Black  threatens  to 
initiate  a strong  attack  with  P — B 4. 

Aljechin  has  analysed  a variation  of  this  line  of  play,  which 
he  thinks  leads  finally  to  White’s  advantage  : 12  P x P, 

Kt — Kt  4 ; 13  B X Kt,  B x B ; 14  P — K R 3,  B x Kt ; 15 

Q X B,  Kt  X P ; 16  R X Kt,  P x R ; 17  B x R,  B — B 8 ; 

18  Kt — R 3,  Q — Q 7.  I doubt  that  White  can  w^n  this  game. 

9-  P—Q  3 

In  this  less  aggressive  continuation,  in  which  nothing  is 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


165 

immediately  attempted  against  Black’s  centre,  White  prepares 
gradually  for  a King’s  side  attack,  as  in  this  game  with 
Kt — Q 2 — B I — Kt  3.  But  Black  should  obtain  time  for 
operations  in  the  centre. 

9 Kt — Q R 4 

10.  B — B 2 P — B 4 

11.  Q Kt — Q 2 Kt — B 3 

12.  P — Q R 4 

In  many  vanations  of  the  Ruy  Lopez,  this  advance  is  always 
good,  if  Black  cannot  avoid  exchanging  the  pawn,  because  the 
White  Queen’s  Rook,  which  only  gets  into  play  with  difficulty, 
can  either  be  exchanged  or  hold  the  Rook’s  file.  In  any  case 
the  Black  Knight’s  pawn  is  weak  for  the  end-game.  If,  as 
in  the  present  game.  Black  can  play  P — Kt  5,  P — R 4 is  useless 
and  even  doubtful,  as  the  Rook’s  pawn  itself  may  become 
weak  in  the  end-game. 

12 B — Kt  2 

This  causes  the  loss  of  the  game.  In  the  Ruy  Lopez  the 
Bishop  is  nearly  always  needed  on  the  diagonal  Q B 1 — K R 6, 
to  prevent  a Knight  from  settling  at  White’s  K B 5,  which 
otherwise  cannot  be  repelled  except  by  P — K Kt  3,  a most 
undesirable  consummation.  The  proper  continuation  would 
have  been  P — Kt  5,  B — K 3,  Q — B 2 and  P — Q 4,  capturing  the 
Queen’s  file.  Compare  note  to  move  13  in  the  next  game. 

13.  Kt— B I Q— B 2 

14.  Kt— Kt  3 P— Kt  3 


Diag.  1 17 


i66 


CHESS  STRATEGY 

Here  is  the  weakness.  White  first  provides  against  Black’s 
P — Q 4,  and  then  starts  a sharp  attack  on  the  King’s  side. 

15.  B-Kt  5 Q R-Q  I 

P — Q 4 at  once  is  not  feasible,  because  of  B x Kt. 

16.  PxP  PxP 

17.  Q— B I 

This  brings  the  Q away  from  her  file,  which  Black  could  now 
secure  by  P — Q 4,  followed  by  PxP. 

17 K R— K I 

The  proper  continuation  is  the  one  outlined  in  the  note  above. 

18.  P— R3 

White  has  now  ample  leisure  to  prepare  the  advance  of 
his  K B P. 


18. 

R— R I 

19. 

RxR 

RxR 

20. 

Kt- 

-R  2 

B-QBi 

21. 

p- 

-K  B 4 

Kt— K I 

22. 

p- 

-B5 

BxB 

23- 

Qx 

:B 

Q-K2 

Black  seeks  salvation  in  exchanges,  which  White,  of  course, 
tries  to  avoid,  having  good  prospects  of  driving  home  his 
attack.  His  pieces  are  concentrated  on  the  King’s  side,  whilst 
the  Black  forces  are  scattered,  and  unable  to  get  back  in  time 
for  the  defence.  Moreover,  it  is  likely  that  the  weakness  at 
Black’s  K R 3 and  K B 3 will  prove  fatal  as  the  Black  K B is 
exchanged. 

24.  Q — R 6 Q — B I 

25.  Q — B I O — Kt  2 

26.  R— B I P— Kt  4 

White  was  threatening  to  play  Kt — Kt  4 with  PxP  and 
Kt— R 6. 

27.  Kt — Kt  4 Kt — B 3 

28.  Kt  X Kt  ch  Q X Kt 

One  of  the  attacking  Knights  is  eliminated.  But  there  is 
another,  which  forces  the  entry  at  K B 6 and  K Kt  6. 

29.  P — R 4 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


167 

to  gain  access  for  the  White  Queen  at  K R 6.  If  BI?xk 
captures  there  follows : 30  Kt — R 5,  Q — Q i ; 31  Q — R 6, 
Q — B I ; 32  Kt — B 6 ch,  an  instructive  example  of  the  weak- 
ness created  by  P — K Kt  3. 


29 

P-R3 

30.  Kt— R5 

Q-Qi 

31.  P — B 6 

All  this  is  easy  to  understand. 

31 

K— R2 

32.  PxP 

B-Kts 

33.  Kt— Kt  7 

K-Kt3 

34-  B-Q  I 

Q-Q2 

35.  Kt— B5 

BxKt 

36.  P X B ch 

Resigns. 

The  conclusion  might  be  : 

K-R  2 ; 37 

38  QxP,  R— K Kt  I ; 39  B- 

— Kt  6 ch,  Px 

mate. 


Game  No.  13 

White  : Teichmann.  Black  ; Schlechter. 

Ruy  Lopez  (see  p.  37). 

Move  1-8  as  in  Game  No.  12. 


Diag.  118. 


i68 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


9-  P— Q 3 Kt— Q R 4 

10.  B — B 2 P — B 4 

11.  Q Kt— Q 2 Q— B 2 

Supporting,  as  it  does,  the  K P,  this  is  not  a lost  move, 
although  White  has  not  played  P — Q 4.  It  prepares  Black’s 
P — Q 4 (after  Kt — B 3),  the  K P being  fully  protected  against 
White’s  double  attack  by  P x P. 

12.  Kt — B I Kt — B 3 

13.  Kt — K 3 B — Kt  2 

The  logical  move  would  have  been  B — K 3,  to  enforce 
P — Q 4.  Black  is  then  very  well  developed,  whilst  White 
labours  under  a somewhat  undeveloped  Queen’s  side.  An 
attempt  to  exert  pressure  in  the  centre  with  P — Q 4 in  order 
to  prevent  Black’s  P — Q 4 would  be  belated.  Black  would 
gain  the  advantage  by:  14...K  PxP;  15  PxP,  PxP;  16 
Kt  X P,  Kt  X Kt ; 17  Q X Kt,  Kt— Kt  5 ! Nor  would  B— Kt  5 
before  Kt — K 3 be  more  successful ; after  B — K 3 ; 14  Kt — K 3, 
Q R — Q I ; 15  P — Q 4,  B P X P ; 16  P x P,  P x P ; 17  Kt  x P, 
Kt  xKt ; 18  Q X Kt,  Q — B 4,  Black  has  the  better  chances  in 
the  end-game.  The  move  in  the  text  is  not  good  because, 
as  we  saw  before,  the  Bishop  is  wanted  on  the  other  diagonal 
to  cover  the  square  at  K B 4. 

14.  Kt— B 5 K R— K I 

15.  B — Kt  5 Kt — Q 2 

Even  now  it  was  desirable  to  aim  at  P — Q 4,  therefore  Q R — Q i 
was  preferable. 

16.  B— Kt  3 

Tlie  position  of  the  White  pieces  points  to  a dangerous  menace 
to  the  opposing  King’s  side. 

16 Kt— B I 

17.  B-Q  5 ! ! 

The  beginning  of  a brilliant  combination.  B x Kt  is  threatened, 
and  Black  must  first  cover  his  B at  K 2. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


169 


17 Kt— Kt  3 

18.  BxB  KKtxB 

Q Kt  X B is  not  feasible,  because  of  B x B and  Kt  x Q P. 

19.  B X P ch  ! ! K X B 

20.  Kt — Kt  5 ch 


Quite  a number  of  charming  combinations  are  hidden  in 
this  position.  If  K — Kt  3 or  Kt  i,  then  21  Kt  x Kt  P ! If 
K — B 3 White  can  captuie  the  R P first  with  check. 


20 K— Kt  1 

21.  Q — R5  KtxKt 

22.  Q X R P ch  K — B I 

23.  QxKt  ch  K — Kt  I 


24.  Q— Kt  6 ! ! ! 

The  point.  This  prevents  P — Kt  3,  which  would  allow 
Black  to  bring  up  his  Q for  the  defence  at  Kt  2.  Now  nothing 
can  be  done  against  the  threatening  R — K 3 — B 3 or  R 3. 

24 Q— Q 2 

25.  R — K 3 Resigns. 

A wonderful  game  in  which  Teichmann,  the  great  judge  of 
position,  proves  himself  also  a master  in  hand-to-hand  fight 
ing,  in  the  wild  chaos  of  sacrificial  combinations. 


170 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


Game  No.  14 


White  : Spielmann.  Black  : Tarrasch. 

Ruy  Lopez  (see  p.  41). 


1.  P— K 4 P— K 4 

2.  Kt— K B 3 Kt— Q B 3 

3.  B— Kt  5 P— Q R 3 

4.  B — R 4 Kt — B 3 

5.  Castles  KtxP 

6.  P-Q  4 


In  a game  between  Riga  and  Berlin  PxP  was  tried  for 
the  first  time,  a bold  venture  which  anticipates  White’s  desire 
to  open  the  King’s  file.  After  7 R — K i Black  can  defend 
the  Kt  by  P — Q 4,  but  after  8 Kt  x P White  threatens  again 
to  win  the  Kt  by  P — K B 3,  besides  attacking  the  Q Kt  a 
second  time.  However,  Black  has  a surprising  answer  in 
readiness.  He  initiates  a violent  counter  attack  which  keeps 
White  busy  until  Black,  by  castling,  escapes  the  dangers 
of  the  double  pin.  (Compare  Game  No.  17.) 

6 P— Q Kt  4 

7.  B— Kt  3 P— Q 4 

8.  P-Q  R 4 

This  gives  Black  an  opportunity  of  disposing  of  his  Q Kt 
by  exchanging  it,  thereby  enabling  him  to  round  off  his  pawn 
position  by  P — Q B 4,  at  the  same  time  threatening  to  cut  ofl 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES  171 

the  Bishop  by  P — B 5.  8 PxP  followed  by  P — B 3 is  the 
natural  continuation,  as  shown  in  the  first  part  of  this  book, 
because  the  Bishop,  retreating  to  B 2,  can  operate  on  a useful 
diagonal. 

8 QKtxP! 

Q R — Kt  I would  not  be  so  good,  because  White  obtains  an 
open  file  for  his  Rook.  The  move  in  the  text  is  an  absolutely 
valid  defence,  as  was  proved  by  Schlechter  in  his  match  against 
Lasker. 

9.  KtxKt  PxKt 

10.  Kt — B 3 

PxP  and  P — B 3 seems  a more  natural  continuation. 

10 Kt  X Kt 

Not  P X Kt,  on  account  of  B x P. 

11.  P X Kt  P — Q B 4 

12.  R P X P B — K 2 

in  order  to  castle  in  reply  to  B — R 4. 

13-  Q— B3 

Here  White  should  have  got  back  his  second  pawn  by  PxQP. 
If  then  13. . .P — B 5 ; 14  B — R 4,  Castles  ; 15  PxP,  B x P, 
White  plays  P — Q B 3,  providing  a retreat  for  his  R or  B. 
After  the  move  in  the  text  this  manoeuvre  becomes  impossible, 
because  the  B after  P — B 3 can  be  attacked  twice  but  has 
lost  the  support  of  the  Queen. 

13 B— K 3 

14.  RxP  Castles 

15.  PxP  P — B 5 

16.  B— R 2 

Now  the  Bishop  is  hemmed  in  permanently  ; in  other  words. 
Black  is  a piece  up  and  must  win  easily.  Therefore  16  B — R 4 
was  compulsory  in  order  to  get  at  any  rate  three  pawns  for 
the  piece,  thus  : 16. . .B — Q 2 ; 17  Q x P,  R x R ; 18  P x R, 
BxB ; 19  QxP. 

16 

17.  PxR 

18.  B— Kt  I 

19.  Q— Kt  3 


RxR 
Q-R4 
P— B 6 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


White  tries  to  work  up  an  attack  on  the  King’s  side  while 
Black  is  still  occupied  on  the  other  wing. 

19 R — B I 

20.  P — B 4 B — K B 4 

21.  R — K I B — B 3 

22.  K — R I 


In  order  to  answer  BxQ  P by  23  B — K 3 and  P — R 7, 
22. . .Q  X P is  not  feasible  because  of  Q x P. 

22 P — R 3 

23.  P — R 3 R — Kt  I 

24.  B — K 3 Q X P 

25.  R— Q I Q— R 8 

26.  Q — K I 


The  sequel  forms  an  instructive  example  of  how  superior 
development  can  afford  winning  chances  even  when  there  is 
no  immediate  prospect  of  material  gain.  The  opposing  pieces 
are  gradually  constricted  until  the  defending  lines  are  weak- 
ened by  compulsory  pawn  moves.  In  the  present  position 
Black  quietly  sets  to  work  to  bring  his  Bishops  to  bear  on  the 
White  King. 


26 

27.  K — R 2 

28.  Q — B I 


B— K 5 
B— K 2 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


173 

to  free  his  game  somewhat  with  P — B 5,  which  Black  prevents 
at  once. 

28 P— B 4 

29.  R— K I B— R 5 

Being  probably  short  of  time,  Black  makes  a few  irrelevant 
moves.  If  his  aim  was  not  the  opening  of  the  K Kt  file  but 
the  subsequent  sacrifice  of  the  Queen,  he  might  have  played 
Q — Kt  7 at  once,  followed  by  Q — Kt  4. 


30.  P— Kt  3 

B— K 2 

31.  B — B 2 

B-Q3 

32.  R — B I 

K— R 2 

33.  R— K I 

R-Kt3 

34.  R— B I 

B— R 6 

35-  R-K  I 

Q-Kt7 

36.  Q-K  2 

R-Kts 

37.  R— Kt  1 

R-Kt3 

Otherwise  White  might  embark  upon  a counter  attack,  be* 
ginning  with  P — Kt  4.  Now  this  is  impossible  on  account 
of  R— Kt  3. 

38.  R— K I Q— Kt  4 

39-  Q— K 5 

After  the  exchange  of  Queens,  Black  would  win  easily  by 
R — Kt  7.  39  B — R 2 also  fails  on  account  of  Q xQ;  40RXQ, 

R — Kt  7 ; 41  B— Kt  3,  B — Q 6 ! ; 42  R — K 5,  B xP,  and  the 
passed  pawn  costs  a Rook.  With  the  text  move.  White  pro- 
vokes the  sacrifice  of  the  Queen  at  Kt  8,  apparently  not  seeing 
the  fine  continuation  at  Black’s  disposal  on  the  forty-first  move. 

39 QxB! 

40.  RxQ  RxR 

41.  P — Kt  4 

Compulsory.  B — Kt  i would  be  followed  by  R — Q B 8,  etc. 

41 B— B 8 ! ! 

Resigns. 

There  might  follow  42  K — Kt  3,  P — Kt  3 ; 43  Q — R 4,  B x P ch  ; 
44  KxB,  P — Kt  4 ch,  and  so  on.  41... B — Q 3 would  have 
given  White  a little  respite,  though  his  game  would  still  have 
been  hopeless  after  P x P and  R — K 8. 


174 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


Game  No.  15 

White  : Aljechin.  Black  : Niemzowitsch. 

Ruy  Lopez  (see  p.  41). 


1.  P— K 4 

2.  Kt— K B 3 
3-  B-Kt  5 

4.  B — R 4 

5.  Castles 
6-  P— Q 4 

7.  B— Kt  3 

8.  PxP 

9.  P — B 3 
10.  R— K I 


P— K 4 
Kt-Q  B 3 

P-QR3 


Kt— B3 
KtxP 


P-Q  Kt  4 
P-Q4 
B— K 3 
B— K 2 


Diag.  122. 


This  is  one  of  the  most  important  positions  in  the  Ruy 
Lopez.  Black  has  the  better  development,  but  his  centre  is 
less  secure.  Whilst  White  has  a pawn  secured  in  the  centre, 
Black  has  a Knight  there  which  will  soon  be  driven  away. 
White’s  Q 4,  the  basis  of  his  centre,  is  entirely  in  his  hands, 
while  Black’s  Q 4 is  exposed  to  a steady  pressure  by  the  White 
pieces.  Finally  Black’s  Q Kt  is  unfavourably  placed,  ob- 
structing as  it  does  the  Q B P and  preventing  it  from  falling 
into  line  with  its  fellows.  In  Petrograd,  1909,  Lasker  tried  the 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES  175 

following  new  defence  : Kt — B 4 followed  by  B — Kt  5,  giving 
up  the  moves  gained  before  in  order  to  relieve  the  pressure  on 
the  Black  Q P and  to  exchange  the  same  ultimately  at  Q 5. 
The  various  possibilities  of  the  position  have  been  dis- 
cussed in  connection  with  Diag.  22.  It  may  be  added  that 
after  10... Castles  ; Q Kt — Q 2 is  surely  a better  move  than 
the  usual  Kt — Q 4,  as  the  Queen’s  side  should  be  developed 
before  undertaking  an  attack  (11...Q — Q 2?  ; 12  Kt  X B, 

followed  by  R X Kt).  For  a long  time  it  was  thought  that 
after  Kt — Q 4 Black  had  to  exchange  Knights,  which  enables 
White  to  make  the  pawn  at  Q B 7 “ backward  ” by  B — K 3. 
For  Black  must  first  play  P — K R 3 to  guard  his  Kt 
against  the  threat  of  P — B 3 and  P — K R 4.  However,  a 
sensational  innovation  which  refutes  the  Kt’s  move  was 
introduced  in  Breslau  in  1912.  It  is  the  following  sacrifice  : 
10... Castles  ; ii  Kt — Q 4,  Kt  x K P ! ; 12  P — B 3,  B — Q 3 ! ! ; 
13  P X Kt,  B — Kt  5 ! ! ; 14  Q — Q 2,  Q — R 5 with  an  over- 
powering attack. 


10 Kt — B 4 

11.  B — B 2 B — Kt  5 

12.  Q Kt — Q 2 Castles 

13.  Kt— Kt  3 Kt— K 5 


Here  Lasker  played  Kt — K 3 against  Janowski  (Paris, 
1912),  but  it  proved  to  be  inferior,  because  14  Q — Q 3 dis- 
organises Black’s  King’s  side  forcibly. 

The  move  in  the  text  is  not  really  a pawn  sacrifice.  After 
14  B X Kt,  P X B ; 15  Q X Q,  Q R X Q ; 16  K Kt — Q 4,  Kt  x Kt ; 
17  KtxKt,  R — Q 4,  White  cannot  play  18  RxP,  because  of 
P — Q B 4 ; 19  Kt — B 2,  B — B 4 or  19  Kt — B 3,  R — Q 8 ch ; 
20  Kt — K I,  B — B 4 ; 21  R — K 2,  B— Q 6 ; 22  R — K 3, 
B— Kt  4. 

14.  B — B 4 P — B 4 

15.  PxP^.^.  KtxP(B3) 

16.  Q-Q3  Kt-K5? 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


This  loses  the  Q B P,  and  weakens  the  Q P.  Black  might  have 
tried  BxKt  ; 17  QxB,  B — Q 3.  It  would  then  have  been 
possible  to  support  the  Q P by  P — B 3 after  moving  the  Kt 
away.  If  Black  was  anxious  to  preserve  his  two  Bishops  he 
would  even  have  risked  P — Kt  3.  After  17  B — R 6,  R — B 2, 
the  Bishop  could  have  been  driven  away  again  by  the  K Kt 
from  Kt  I or  Kt  5.  The  open  file  offered  some  compensation 
and  chances  of  counter  attack. 

17.  BxP  Q— Q 2 

Not  QxB  because  of  Q xP  ch. 

18.  Kt— K5  KtxKt 

19.  B X Kt  B — R 5 

R xP  is  bad  because  of  20  R x Kt,  B — K B 4 ; 21  Q — Kt  3. 

20.  B — Kt  3 B X B 

21.  R P xB  B — B 4 

Now  R xP  ! was  feasible  with  a level  game  after  ; 22  R xKt, 
B — B 4 ! 23  K xR,  B xR  ; 24  Q any,  Q — B 4 ch,  followed  by 
B X B.  After  missing  this  chance.  Black  soon  loses  the  game. 


22.  Q— Q 4 
23-  Q R— Q I 

24.  Kt — Q 2 


K R— Q I 

Q—Q  B 2 

Kt  X K B P 


A last  and  desperate  attempt.  Black  obtains  Rook  and 
pawn  against  two  minor  pieces,  but  has  no  time  to  initiate  an 
attack  with  the  Rooks.  The  wisest  plan  was  to  give  up  the 
P,  with  a view  to  effecting  the  exchange  of  the  minor  pieces, 
because  an  ending  with  Queen  and  Rooks  generally  produces 
a draw.  Black  could  not  play  Kt  x Kt  P instead  of  the  move 
in  the  text  because  of  25  B — Kt  3 !. 


25.  BxB  KtxR 

26.  RxKt  QxKtP 

27.  B — K 6 ch  K — R I 

28.  BxP  Q R— B I 

29.  Kt — K 4 Q — R 5 

30.  P— Q Kt  3 R— B 3 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


177 


White  now  obtains  a passed  pawn,  and  a speedy  win. 


31- 

Q-B2 

Q-R4 

32. 

Q-B3 

QxQ 

33- 

PxQ 

P-Kt3 

34- 

R-Q2 

R-Kt3 

35- 

P-QB4 

PxP 

36. 

PxP 

R— Kt  8 ch 

37- 

K— B 2 

P-Q  R 4 

38. 

P-BS 

R— Q B 8 

39- 

P— B 6 

K— Kt  2 

40. 

B— B 4 ! 

RxB 

41. 

RxR 

RxP 

42. 

R— Q 7 ch 

K-R3 

43- 

K-Kt3 

R-B5 

44. 

Kt— B 2 

K— Kt  4 

Mate  was  threatened  by  ; 45  Kt — Kt  4 ch,  K — R 4 ; 
46  R — Q 5 ch,  P — Kt  4 ; 47  R — Q 6 and  R — R 6 mate  (or  if 
RxKt  ch,  PxR  mate). 

45-  R— Q 5 ch  K— B 3 

46.  R X P Resigns 


Game  No.  16 

White  : Yates.  Black  : Gunsberg. 

Ruy  Lopez. 


1.  P— K 4 

2.  Kt— K B 3 

3-  B-Kt  5 

4.  B — R 4 

5.  Castles 

6.  P—0  4 

7.  B— Kt  3 

8.  PxP 

9.  P— Q B 3 

10.  B — K 3 


P— K 4 
Kt— 0 B 3 
P-Q'R  3 
Kt— B 3 
KtxP 
P-Q  Kt  4 
P-Q4 
B— K3 
B— K 2 


in  order  to  exchange  the  Black  Knight  if  played  to  B 4. 


10 Castles 

II.  Q Kt— Q 2 


178  CHESS  STRATEGY 

If  Q— Q 3,  then  Kt— R 4 ; 12  Q Kt— Q 2,  P— Q B 4. 

II Kt  X Kt 

This  furthers  White’s  development,  and  should  not  be 
played  unless  there  is  no  other  move  available.  To  be  con- 
sidered are  P — B 4 and  B — K Kt  5.  An  argument  against 
P — B 4 is  that  White  can  deprive  Black’s  weak  centre  pawn 
of  one  protecting  piece  (12  PxP  e.p.,  Kt  x P (B  3) ; 13  Kt— 
Kt  5),  and  experience  has  shown  that  White  obtains  the 
superior  game. 

12.  QxKt  Kt — R4 

13.  B — B 2 Kt — B 5 

A very  dangerous  manoeuvre,  as  White  can  evade  the  ex- 
change of  his  Bishop  and  the  Black  Kt  does  not  get  back  in 
time  for  the  defence  of  the  K side,  where  White’s  attack  be- 
comes virulent.  He  should  have  played  P — Q B 4 followed 
by  Kt— B 3. 

14.  0 — 0 3 P — Kt  3 

15.  B— R6  KtxKtP 

16.  Q— K 2 R— K I 

17.  Kt— Q4 

Black  had  probably  anticipated  that  White  would  be 
content  with  regaining  his  pawn  by  BxP,  but,  with  fine  posi- 
tional insight,  he  retains  his  Bishop  for  the  coming  onslaught 
and  speedily  concentrates  his  forces  on  the  K side ; whilst  Black, 
who  has  won  a pawn  at  the  expense  of  several  moves,  cannot 
mobilise  an  equivalent  number  of  pieces  in  time  for  the  defence. 

17 Kt — B 5 

ik  P — B 4 B — Q 2 

White  was  threatening  19  Kt — B 6,  20  Kt  xB,  21  B — Kt  5, 
22  B — B 6 ; 18... Q — Q 2 is  not  sufficient,  as  19  P — B 5 would 
follow.  Neither  can  18... B — 0 B 4 be  played  because  of 
19  B — Kt  5,  Q — B I ; 20  B — B 6.  Preferable  to  the  text  move 
seems  B — K B i (19  B — Kt  5,  Q — B i ; 20  B — B 6,  B — Kt  2),  as 
then  the  Black  pieces  have  more  freedom  of  action. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


179 


19.  Q R— K I P— Q B 4 

20.  P— K6 

A brilliant  sacrifice  to  which  no  satisfactory  reply  can  be 
found.  For  instance,  20...PxKt;  21  Q — Kt  4,  Kt — K 6, 
22  RxKt,  PxR;  23  P — B 5,  BxP;  24  PxB,  PxP, 
25  B X P,  etc. ; or  24, , .R — K B i ; 25  P x P ch,  R x P ; 26  Q — 
K 6,  Q — K I ; 27  BxP,  etc.  ; or  23... P — Kt  4 ; 24  PxP  ch, 
K X P ; 25  Q — R 5 ch,  K — Kt  i ; 26  P — B 6,  B x P ; 27  B x 
P,  etc. ; or  21... B — B4;  22  PxP  ch,  KxP;  23  BxP  ch, 
PxB  ; 24  P — B 5,  etc.  There  are  many  variations,  all  lead- 
ing to  a speedy  end. 


20 

21.  0 — Kt  4 

22.  P — B 5 

23.  BxP 


B— K B 3 
PxKt 
P— Q6 
BxK  P 


If  P X K P then  24  P x Kt  P,  Kt — K 4 ; 25  R x Kt,  B x R ; 
26  Q — R 5,  Q — B 3 ; 27  R X Q,  B X R ; 28  PxP  ch,  K — R 1 ; 
29  Q — B 7,  etc.  ; or  26. ..BxP  ; 27  B — B 8,  etc. 

24.  PxB  Q — Kt  3 ch 

25.  K — R I Resigns. 


i8o 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


Game  No,  17 

White  ; Berlin.  Black  ; Riga. 

Ruy  Lopez, 


Move  1-6  as  in  Game  No.  16. 


6 PxP 

Compare  note  to  move  No.  6 in  Game  14. 

7.  R— K I P— Q 4 

8.  KtxP  B— Q3 

This  is  the  key  to  the  variation.  Black  threatens  to  obtain 
a draw  by  perpetual  check  through  BxP  ch,  followed  by 
Q — R 5 ch  and  QxP  ch.  This  is  not  good  enough  against 
a weaker  opponent  in  a tournament,  and  a strong  player 
cannot  afford  to  play  the  Riga  defence.  But  that  is  not  a 
point  against  the  variation.  To  prove  it  unsound,  White  has 
to  find  a win. 

9.  Kt  X Kt  B X P ch 

10.  K— R I ! 

After  10  K — B i Black  has  a tremendous  attack,  and  drives  it 
home  before  White  can  manage  to  bring  his  extra  piece  into 
play.  A game  Maroczy-Berger  (Vienna,  1908)  is  an  illustra- 
tion of  this.  It  continued  in  this  way  : 10  K — B i,  Q — R 5 ; 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


i8i 


II  B — K 3,  Castles  ; 12  Kt — Q 4,  B — Kt  5 ; 13  Kt — K B 3, 
Q — R 4.  Now  White  has  no  satisfactory  continuation. 

14  Kt — Q 2 obstructs  the  Queen,  and  it  is  difficult  to  bring 
the  Rooks  into  concerted  action.  14  Kt — B 3,  Q R — Q i ; 

15  Q — Q 3,  BxKt;  16  PxB,  QxP;  17  Kt  xKt,  PxKt ; 
18  Q — B 3,  Q — R 6 ch  ; 19  K — K 2,  Q — Kt  5 ch  ; 20  K — B i, 
R — Q 4;  21  B — Kt  3,  R — K R 4;  22  P — B 3,  PxP; 
Resigns. 

10 Q— R 5 

It  now  looks  as  if  White  were  lost.  But  a fine  sacrifice  forces 
the  exchange  of  all  Black’s  attacking  pieces,  and  saves  the 
situation. 

11.  R xKt  ch  P xR 

12.  Q— Q8ch  QxQ 

13.  Kt  xQ  ch  K xKt 

14.  KxB  


After  the  terrible  slaughter,  the  position  is  somewhat 
clearer.  Black  has  a Rook  and  two  pawns  for  two  minor 
pieces,  a slight  advantage  for  the  end-game,  but  as  yet  there 
is  no  thought  of  an  end-game.  White,  in  possession  of  two 
Bishops,  with  an  open  Queen’s  file  on  which  the  Black  King 
stands,  has  good  attacking  chances,  and  most  masters  would 
think  the  position  favourable  for  White. 

B-K3 


14. 


i82 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


P — K B 4 is  a plausible  move,  but  is  followed  by  a pretty 
mate  by  15  B — Kt  5.  The  move  in  the  text  threatens  to 
eliminate  the  K B by  P — Q B 4,  P — Q Kt  4. 

15.  B— K 3 P— K B 4 

16.  Kt— B 3 K— K 2 

17.  P— K Kt  4 

Tarrasch  recommends  17  R — Q i,  threatening  Kt — Q 5 ch. 
If  P — B 3,  White  could  play  18  B — Kt  6,  thereby  permanently 
preventing  Black  from  contesting  the  Queen’s  file,  and  then  try 
to  exchange  Black’s  B by  Kt — K 2 — Q 4.  With  two  Bishops, 
White  would  then  have  winning  chances. 

A subtle  idea  underlies  White’s  move  of  P — K Kt  4.  He 
wishes  to  take  advantage  of  the  fact  that  Black  has  exchanged 
the  K B by  playing  P — Kt  5,  thus  holding  all  the  four  pawns 
on  the  King’s  side.  But  Black  finds  a surprising  reply,  which 
seems  to  refute  White’s  plan. 

Capablanca  played  against  Ed.  Lasker  (New  York,  1915), 
17  P— K Kt  4,  P— K Kt  3 ; 18  K— Kt  3,  P— K R 4 ; 19 

P X B P,  P — R 5 ch  ; 20  K— R 2,  P x P ; 21  Kt — K 2, 

P — Kt  4 ; 22  B — Kt  3,  B X B ; 23  R P X B,  K R — K Kt  i ; 
24  R — Q I,  Q R — Q I ; 25  R x R,  K x R ; 26  Kt — K 4, 
winning  a pawn. 

17 P— K Kt  3 18.  P— Kt  5 Q R— K Kt  I ! 1 

Black  offers  the  exchange  in  order  to  get  rid  of  White’s  Q B. 
If  White  accepts  the  sacrifice,  he  loses  his  K Kt  P,  and 
Black  retains  three  passed  pawns  for  the  piece,  at  least  an 
equivalent  for  the  end-game.  White  should  decline  the 
doubtful  gift  and  meet  the  threat  of  P — R 3 and  P — K Kt  4 
with  19  R — K Kt  I. 

19.  B — Q 4 P — R 3 20.  B — B 6 ch  K — B 2 

21.  BxR  RxB  22.  R— Q i 

in  order  to  play  23  B — Q 7 in  answer  to  P — B 4.  This  explains 
White’s  check  at  move  20. 

22 PxPch  23.  K — Kt  2 K — B3! 

If  now  24  Kt — Q 5 ch.  Black  would  assail  the  White  King 
with  K — K 4 : 25  Kt  X P,  B — B 5 — K 7 — B 6.  The  Black 
phalanx  of  pawns  becomes  menacing. 

24.  B — Kt  3 B X B 

25.  R PxB  K — K 3 26.  P — Kt  4 R — R 2 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


183 


Black  need  no  longer  fear  to  exchange  Rooks,  for  he  would 
then  threaten  the  Queen’s  side  pawns  with  his  King  whilst 
the  passed  pawns  kept  the  White  forces  occupied. 

27.  Kt — K 2 R — Q 2 

28.  Kt — Q 4 ch  K — B 3 

29.  P— Q B 3 P— B 3 

The  aim  of  this  move  is  not  clear.  Black  should  adopt  a 
forward  policy  with  P — Kt  5,  P — B 5,  R — R 2,  etc. 

30.  R— K R I P— Kt  5 

31.  R— R 8 

Now  none  of  the  pawns  can  advance  ; P — B 5 would  be 
answered  by  32  R — K 8,  R — K 2 ; 33  R x R,  K x R ; 34  Kt— 
Kt  3 and  one  of  the  pawns  is  lost. 


31 

R— K 2 

32.  Kt — K 2 

R-Q  2 

33.  Kt— Q 4 

R— K 2 

34.  R — B 8 ch 

K— Kt  2 

35.  R-Q  8 

P-B5 

36.  R-Q  6 

K— B 2 

37.  Kt — B 2 

R-K  3 

38.  R— Q 7 ch 

R— K 2 

39.  R— Q 6 

40.  R— Q I 

R-K  3 

White  tries  to  win  at  all  costs — and  loses.  By  a forcible 
advance  on  the  Queen's  side,  he  creates  new  chances,  but  also 
new  weaknesses. 


40. 

41. 

42. 

43- 

44. 


P— B 4 

R-Q4 
R— Q 6 
p B 3 


K— B 3 
R— K 2 
K— Kt  4 
P— K 6 ! 


P X P fails  on  account  of  P — B 6 ch  and  R — R 2. 


44 

P— K 7 

45.  Kt— K I 

P— Kt  6 

46.  P-Kt  5 

46 

R— R 2 

47.  PxB  P 

PxP 

Too  late. 


184 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


48.  R— K 6 

49.  K — Kt  I 

50.  Kt — B 2 

51.  RxK  P 

52.  Kt — K I 
53-  R— Q 2 
54.  Kt— Q 3 

Resigns 


R — R 7 ch 
R— B 7 
RxP 
R-Q6 
R— Kt  6 
P— B 6 
P— R 4 


The  R P cannot  be  prevented  from  pushing  on  to  R 6, 
after  which  a mate  is  threatened  by  the  Black  R on  the  eighth 
rank.  R — Q i would  then  be  compulsory.  But  that  lets 
the  Black  Rook  in  on  the  seventh  (K  R — R 7,  followed  by 
P — B 7 ch). 


Game  No.  18. 


Emanuel  Lasker.  Capablanca. 

Ruy  Lopez  (see  p.  37) 

P— K 4 P— K 4 

Kt— K B 3 Kt— Q B 3 

B-Kt  5 P-Q  R 3 


1. 

2. 

3- 

4- 

5- 


Q PxB 
PxP 


BxKt 
P-Q  4 

Worthy  of  consideration  is:  5...B — K Kt  5 ; 6 P x P, 
Q X Q ch  ; 7 K X Q,  Castles  ch  ; 8 K — K 2,  R — K i ; 9 P — 
K R 3,  B X Kt  ch  ; 10  K x B,  P — B 3 ; with  a good  game. 
In  this  opening  Black  is  justified  in  assuming  the  initiative, 
as  the  exchange,  which  has  opened  a diagonal  for  his  Q B,  has 
furthered  his  development.  If  he  does  not  do  so,  and  confines 
himself  to  defending  tamely,  the  chances  are  that  he  will  lose 
on  account  of  White’s  majority  of  pawns  on  the  King’s  side. 

6.  QxP  QxQ 


Compulsory.  If  B — K 3 instead,  7 B — B 4 attacks  Q B 7. 
B — Q 3 in  reply  to  that  would  be  inferior.  By  exchanging 
Bishops  White  would  render  the  Black  Q P “ backward,”  and 
on  the  open  file  its  capture  would  be  inevitable. 

7.  KtxQ  B-Q3 

8.  Kt— Q B 3 Kt— K 2 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


185 

Black  prepares  to  castle  on  the  King’s  side.  It  is  more 
usual,  and  probably  stronger,  to  castle  on  the  Queen’s  side,  as 
the  King  then  protects  the  Q B P,  which  in  the  present  case 
would  be  weak  if  Black’s  K B were  to  be  exchanged. 

9.  Castles  Castles. 

10.  P — B 4 R — K I 


Black  allows  his  opponent  too  much  latitude  on  the  King’s 
wing.  He  should  prevent  White’s  P — B 5,  which  obstructs 
his  Q B,  by  P — K B 4.  After  P — K 5 the  game  would  be 
equalised  by  B — B 4,  B xKt,  and  B — K 3. 

A draw  would  then  be  practically  certain,  with  the  Bishops 
of  opposite  colours.  Black  probably  thought  White  would  not 
risk  weakening  his  K P by  P — B 5.  But  with  unfailing  judg- 
ment Lasker  foresees  that,  in  consequence  of  the  greater 
mobihty  of  his  pieces,  his  attack  will  be  successful  before  a 
counter  attack  on  the  weak  K P can  be  instituted. 

11.  Kt — Kt  3 P — B 3 

Even  now  P — K B 4 was  imperative,  though  it  would  keep 
the  Bishop  from  that  square.  The  continuation  could  have 
been  12  P — K 5,  B — Kt  5 ; 13  Kt — K 2 (or  R 4),  Kt — Q 4, 
and  the  Bishop  is  safe. 

12.  P— B 5 I I 


i86 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


This  move  has  a twofold  aim.  It  shuts  in  the  Bishop,  and 
allows  B — B 4,  exchanging  the  Black  Q B. 

12 P— Q Kt  3 

The  diagonal  Q R i — K R 8 is  the  only  one  in  which  the 
Bishop  has  any  prospects  of  action.  However,  as  soon  a-'S  he 
relinquishes  his  present  diagonal,  a White  Knight  settles  at 
K 6 and  the  Black  Rooks  are  very  much  hampered. 

13.  B — B 4 B — Kt  2 

Black  should  have  exchanged  the  Bishops.  Now  he  gets  a 
weak  pawn  at  Q 3.  Before  playing  B — Kt  2,  P — B 4 should 
be  played  to  prevent  the  Knight  getting  from  Kt  3 — Q 4 — K 6. 


14. 

BxB 

Px 

:B 

15- 

Kt- 

-Q4 

QR-Qi 

16. 

Kt- 

-K  6 

R- 

-Q2 

17- 

QR- 

-Qi 

Kt- 

-B  I 

18. 

R— B 2 

P- 

-QKt4 

19. 

K R- 

-Q2 

This  holds  Black’s  Kt  at  B i.  White’s  next  move  prevents  the 
Bishop  getting  into  action  by  P — B 4.  After  depriving  all 
the  Black  pieces  of  their  mobility.  White  turns  his  atten- 
tion to  a determined  assault  on  the  Black  King. 


19. 

Q R— K 2 

20. 

P-Q  Kt  4 

K— B 2 

21. 

P-QR3 

B— R I 

22. 

K— B 2 

R— R 2 

23- 

P— Kt  4 

P— R3 

24. 

R-Q3 

P-QR4 

25- 

P— K R 4 

PxP 

26. 

PxP 

R (R  2)— K 2 

There  are  no  prospects  on  the  Rook’s  file,  and  Black  is  re- 
stricted to  keeping  his  pieces  mutually  protected.  He  cannot 
prevent  White  from  penetrating  the  King’s  side. 

27.  K — B 3 R — Kt  I 

28.  K— B 4 P— Kt  3 

29.  R — Kt  3 P — Kt  4 ch 

30.  K— B 3 

If  Black  captures  the  pawn,  he  would  lose  it  again  forth- 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES  187 

with  through  VTiite’s  R — R 3,  and  the  pawn  at  R 3 would 
also  be  captured. 

30 Kt — Kt  3 

31.  PxP  R PxP 

32.  R — R 3 R — Q 2 

33.  K— Kt  3 


The  White  King  leaves  the  diagonal  because  Black’s  P — B 4 
would  interfere  with  the  combination  by  which  White  intends 
to  annihilate  Black’s  game  in  a few  moves. 


33 K~Ki 

34.  Q R— K R I B— Kt  2 

35-  P— K 5 ! ! 

A beautiful  final  stroke. 


35 QPxP 

36.  Kt— K 4 ! ! Kt— Q 4 

37.  Kt  (K  6) — B 5 B — B I 


Black  dares  not  move  the  Rook  on  account  of  Kt  X B and 
Kt — Q 6 ch. 


38.  Kt  X R B X Kt 

39.  R — R 7 ch  R — B I 

40.  R — R I K — Q I 

41.  R — R 8 ch  B— B I 

42.  Kt — B 5 Resigns. 


Mate  in  two  is  threatened.  Black’s  only  move  is  Kt — K 2, 


i88 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


after  which  he  is  helpless,  and  White  can  capture  the  pawns 
one  by  one  at  his  leisure  (R — B 7,  etc.).  In  this  game,  so 
beautifully  engineered  by  White,  we  have  a further  example 
of  Lasker’s  remarkable  grasp  of  position. 


Game  No.  19 

White  : Eduard  Lasker.  Black  ; Janowski. 
Four  Knights’  Game. 


1.  P— K 4 

2.  Kt— K B 3 

3.  Kt— B 3 

4.  B-Kt  5 


P— K 4 
Kt-Q  B 3 
Kt— B 3 
B— Kt  5 


B — K 2 ; 5 Castles,  P — Q 3 ; would  lead  into  the  Ruy  Lopez. 

5.  Castles  Castles 

6-  P— Q 3 P— Q 3 

It  is,  of  course,  better  to  castle  before  playing  P — Q 3,  as  the 
opponent  could  at  once  play  Kt — Q 5 and  utilise  the  pin  to 
initiate  an  immediate  attack,  e.g.  5 Castles,  P — Q 3 ; 6 Kt — Q 5, 
B — B 4 ; 7 P — Q 4,  P X P ; 8 B — Kt  5. 


7.  B — Kt  5 


The  position  is  not  unhke  that  in  Diagram  90,  and  the 
same  remarks  apply  to  it.  Here  B — K 3 is  inadvisable. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


189 

because  P — Q 4,  threatening  to  fork  two  pieces,  forces  the  ex- 
change of  Black’s  centre  pawn.  After  7. . .B — Kt  5 ; 8 Kt — Q 5, 
Kt — Q 5 ; 9 B — B 4,  B — B 4,  on  the  other  hand,  we  get  the 
position  discussed  on  p.  115,  in  which  White  obtains  the  ad- 
vantage by  Q — Q 2.  Instead  of  9...B — B 4,  Black  should 
play  Q — Q 2 with  a similar  threat.  But  he  has  not  the  co- 
operation of  his  King’s  Bishop  for  the  attack,  and  White  just 
manages  to  escape  with  a draw,  e.g.  o, . .Q — Q 2 ; 10  Kt  x Kt  ch, 
P X Kt ; II  B X P,  P — K R 3 (B  X Kt ; 12  P x B,  Q — R 6 fails  on 
account  of  K — R i and  R — K Kt  i)  ; 12  P — B 3,  Kt  x Kt  ch  ; 
13  PxKt,  B — K R 4 ; 14  K — R i,  K — R 2 (Diagram  129)  ; 
15  R— K Kt  I. 


This  is  the  saving  clause.  If  now  Black  had  his  B at  B 4,  as 
White  has  in  the  corresponding  attack.  White  would  first  have 
to  protect  his  B P with  15  Q — K 2,  and  would  be  lost  after 
R — K Kt  I ; 16  R — K Kt  i,  R— Kt  3 ; as  17  B — R 4 fails 
because  of  Q — R 6 ; 18  B — K Kt  3,  R — B 3 ; and  on  the 
other  hand,  after  17  RxR,  PxR  Black  plays  R — K B i, 
attacking  the  B P a second  time. 

With  the  Black  Bishop  at  Kt  5,  however.  Black  does  not 
succeed.  The  continuation  could  be  15... R — K Kt  i;  16 
R — Kt  3,  R — Kt  3 ; 17  B — R 4,  with  a probable  draw. 

This  line  of  play  is  most  difficult  for  both  sides,  and  it  has 
been  avoided  so  far  in  tournaments. 

In  Diagram  128  the  favourite  continuation  for  many 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


190 

years  was:  7...BxKt  ; 8 PxB,  Kt — K 2.  The  opening  of 
the  K Kt  file  by  9 B X K Kt  is  not  to  be  feared,  because  of  the 
reasons  given  when  discussing  Diagram  90.  But  White  obtains 
the  advantage  with  9 Kt — R 4,  preparing  the  opening  of  the 
K B file  by  P — B 4 and  P x P.  9. . .Kt — Kt  3,  in  order  to  retake 
with  the  B P after  10  Kt  x Kt  and  to  open  the  file  for  Black’s 
Rooks,  is  not  a sufficient  reply,  because  after  ii  P — B 4 and 
P X P White  has  a clear  advantage,  having  an  extra  pawn  in 
effect  for  the  end-game.  For  the  three  Black  pawns  on  the 
King’s  side  are  held  by  the  two  adverse  pawns,  which  they 
cannot  pass. 

The  attempt  to  expel  the  troublesome  Bishop  after 
9...Kt — K I by  P — K B 3,  and  then  play  for  a centre  by 
P — B 3,  Kt — B 2 and  P — Q 4 fails  on  account  of  the  withering 
attack  which  White  obtains  on  the  K B file,  e.g.  9...Kt — K i ; 
10  B — Q B 4,  K — R I ; ii  P — B 4,  P — K B 3 ; 12  Q — R 5, 
PxB  ; 13  PxP,  etc. 

In  consequence  the  defence  by  7. . .B  x Kt  and  Kt — K 2 has 
been  abandoned. 

In  the  present  game  Black  reverts  to  a very  old  defence, 
comprising  the  moves  : B x Kt,  Q — K 2,  Kt — Q i — K 3.  It 
had  been  abandoned  because  V^ite,  by  playing  R — K i, 
P — Q 4,  and  eventually  B — B i and  B — R 3,  forces  the  exchange 
of  Black’s  centre  pawn,  and  obtains  an  advantage,  on  well- 
known  grounds.  Here  Black  strengthens  the  defence  by 
interpolating  P — K R 3 !,  after  which  White  must  come  to  a 
decision  as  to  maintaining  the  pin.  If  he  decides  to  do  so 
the  White  Bishop  will  no  longer  be  able  to  threaten  the  Black 
Queen  from  Q R 3. 

7 BxKt 

8.  PxB  P— K R 3 

9.  B— K R 4 

If  the  B retreats  to  B i or  K 3,  Black  can  adopt  the  de- 
fence Kt — K 2 — Kt  3.  Then  Kt — R 4 would  be  inferior,  because 
Black  can  simply  play  P — K Kt  4.  In  this  case  the  advance 
of  the  pawns  is  justified,  because  Black  can  bring  his  Q Kt  to 
K Kt  3 and  have  practically  one  piece  more  on  the  King’s 
side,  and  good  prospects  for  the  attack  which  he  can  open  with 
K— R 2,  R— K Kt  I,  Kt— Kt  3— B 5. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES  191 

9 Q— K 2 

P — K Kt  4 would  be  premature.  White  would  win  at 
once  by  10  Kt  X Kt  P,  P X Kt ; ii  B x P,  as  he  can  attack  the 
Knight  a second  time  by  P — K B 4 and  P x P before  Black  can 
either  protect  it  sufficiently  or  relieve  the  “pin.” 

10.  Q—Q  2 Kt— Q I 

11.  P — Q 4 B — Kt  5 

12.  Q — K 3 B xKt 

13.  QxB  Kt— K3 

It  would  be  wrong  to  play  for  the  gain  of  a pawn  with 
P — K Kt  4 and  P x P,  e.g.  13. . .P — K Kt  4 ; 14  B — Kt  3,  P x P ; 
15  R — K I !,  PxP  ; 16  P — K 5,  etc. 

14.  B X Kt 

Black’s  threat  was  to  develop  an  attack,  similar  to  that 
described  at  move  9,  with  P — K Kt  4 and  Kt — B 5. 

14 QxB 

15.  QxQ  PxQ 

16.  B — B 4 

in  order  to  exchange  the  Knight,  which  is  generally  superior 
to  a Bishop  in  an  end-game,  as  mentioned  before. 

16 PxP 

17.  B X Kt  P X B 

18.  PxP 


Diag.  130. 


192 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


In  the  end-game  thus  brought  about  the  White  Rooks  have 
more  freedom,  as  they  can  be  mobilised  easily  on  the  third 
rank  to  act  on  either  wing.  Black’s  pawns,  however,  are 
stronger,  being  easily  protected  by  the  King,  whilst  White’s 
weak  pawns  at  Q R 2 and  Q B 2 are  at  too  great  a distance 
from  the  King  ; therefore  White  must  see  to  it  that  Black  does 
not  open  files  for  his  Rooks  on  the  Queen’s  side. 

18 Q R— B I 

19.  Q R — Kt  I P — Kt  3 

20.  K R— Q 1 K R— Q I 

21.  R — Kt  3 

White  must  now  allow  Black  to  occupy  the  Q B or  Q file. 
After  21  P — Q 5 Black  would  simply  play  PxP  ; 22  PxP, 
P — B 3,  with  a certain  draw. 

21 P— Q 4 

22.  R — Kt  3 ch 

P — K B 3 was  the  correct  move  here,  in  view  of  subsequent 
threats  of  mate. 


22 

23.  PxP 

24.  R— Q R 3 

25.  P— K B 4 ? 


K— B 2 

RxP 

P-QR4 


A mistake  under  time  pressure,  costing  a pawn.  Q R — Q 3 
was  the  move. 


25 P — Q B 4 

26.  R— Q B 3 Q R— Q I 

27.  R — Kt  I RxP 

28.  RxKt  P RxP 

29.  P— K R 3 R— Q 7 

30.  R— Kt  5 


Not  RxP,  on  account  of  R — B 7,  and  the  K Kt  P cannot 
be  saved. 


30 

31.  R — K Kt  3 

32.  P— B 4 

33.  R— K Kt  4 

34.  R— Kt  5 
35-  P— R 4 


R-(B  5)  15  7 
P— B 4 
P— B 5 
P— R4 
RxP 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


193 

Mate  was  threatened  in  a few  moves  through  R — Q B 7 — B 8 
and  R (R  7)— R 8. 

35 R—{B  7)  Kt  7 

If  now  R — B 7,  White  would  win  the  K B P or  obtain  a 
perpetual  check  (36  R — Q Kt  7 ch,  followed  by  R — Q Kt  8 — 
K B 8).  After  the  move  in  the  text,  White  can  still  draw, 
as  he  wins  back  his  pawn. 

36.  RxR  RxR 

37.  RxR  P? 

This  careless  move  now  loses  the  game.  Of  course  White 
should  have  taken  the  B P.  If  then  P — R 5,  R — R 5 held  the 
pawn  from  behind,  also  after  37. . .K — B 3 ; 38  R x Q R P,  P — 
K 4,  a draw  would  have  been  the  result,  as  the  White  B P 
would  soon  have  become  threatening,  e.g.  39  R — R 8,  K — B 4 ; 
40  P — B 5,  P — K 5 ; 41  P — B 6,  R — Q B 7 ; 42  R — Q B 8, 
K— Kt  5 ; 43  P— B 7,  K X P ; 44  K— R 2,  P— K 6 ; 45  R— B 8, 
R X P ; 46  R X P ch,  K — Kt  4 ; 47  R — K 4,  R — B 6 ; 
48  K — Kt  3,  etc.  : or  44  R — K 8,  R x P ; 45  R x P,  K — Kt  6 ; 
46  R — K I,  R — B 7 ; 47  K — R i,  R x P ; 48  R — K 3 ch, 
and  so  on. 


37 P — R 5 

38.  R X P P — R 6 

Resigns. 

After  R — R 5 there  follows  P — R 7 and  R — Kt  8 ch,  or  (if 
40  K— R 2)  P— B 6. 


Game  No.  20 

White  : Eduard  Lasker.  Black  : Englund. 

Four  Knights’  Game. 

1.  P— K 4 P— K 4 

2.  Kt— K B 3 Kt— Q B 3 

3.  Kt — B 3 Kt — B 3 

4.  B-Kt  5 Kt-Q  5 

5.  KtxP 


N 


194 


CHESS  SIRATEGY 


Black  can  now  get  White’s  K P by  playing  Q — K 2,  and 
moreover  exchange  White’s  valuable  Bishop.  Instead  of  the 
move  in  the  text  it  is  advisable  to  retire  the  Bishop  to  R 4 
or  B 4,  or  else  to  play  5 Kt  xKt,  P xKt  ; 6 P — K 5,  P xKt ; 
7 PxKt.  Black  would  then  play  QxP  and  not  PxQ  P ch, 
as  the  latter  move  allows  White  to  develop  quickly,  and  Black 
has  no  time  to  castle — e.g.  8BxP,  QxP;  9 Castles,  B — K 2 ; 
10  B — B 3,  followed  by  R — K 1 


Q-K2 

KtxP? 


5 

6.  Kt— B 3 


Diag.  131. 


Here  Kt  x B was  essential,  followed  by  QxP,  freeing  the 
Bishop.  After  7 KtxKt,  QxP  ch  ; 8 Q — K 2,  QxQ  ch ; 
9 KxQ,  Kt — Q 4 (10  P — B 4,  P — Q R 3),  Black  completes 
his  development  a little  later  (10  R — K i,  P — K B 3; 
II  K — B I ch,  K — B 2),  but  after  the  exchange  of  Queens 
there  is  not  much  to  fear  from  an  immediate  attack,  and  the 
value  of  the  two  Bishops  soon  asserts  itself.  In  a match 
game  Ed.  Lasker — Cole  (London,  1913)  the  continuation  was 


12  P— Q 4,  P— Q R 3 ; 13  Kt— B 3,  KtxKt ; 14  PxKt, 


P — Q 4.  Here  the  doubled  pawn  is  a disadvantage,  in  that 
the  pawn  at  B 2 is  immobile,  and  constantly  liable  to  be 
attacked  by  B — B 4.  P — Q 3 was  the  better  move. 


7.  Castles 


KtxKt 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


195 

Now  Kt  X B was  no  longer  possible.  After  Kt  x Q Kt  there 
would  be  threats  of  Kt  x B P as  well  as  of  R — K i and  P — Q 3. 
The  game  is  almost  lost  for  Black  at  this  stage,  as  the  King 
cannot  escape  the  impending  attack  on  the  K file  by  castling. 

8.  QPxKt  KtxKtch 

9.  QxKt  Q— B4 

10.  R — K I ch  B — K 2 

11.  B— Q 3 

prevents  castling,  as  Q — K 4 would  win  a piece. 

11  P— Q 4 

12.  B— K 3 

White  has  the  development  of  the  B gratis,  as  Black  must 
lose  time  with  the  Queen. 

12  0— Q 3 

13.  B-K  B 4 Q-K  B 3 

14.  QxP! ! 

Black  being  behind  with  his  development  is  already 
threatened  by  sacrificial  combinations.  If  he  takes  the  Bishop 
he  loses  by  15  B — Kt  5 ch,  K — B i ; 16  Q — Q 8 ch !,  B xQ  ; 
17  R — K 8 mate,  or  15. . .P — B 3 ; 16  B x P ch,  and  so  on. 

14 P — B 3 

15.  Q— K 4 B— K 3 

16.  R— K 3 B— Q B 4 

Here  Black  might  have  castled  on  the  Queen’s  side,  but 
R — Q I would  have  had  much  the  same  sequel  as  in  the 
actual  game. 

17.  B — K 5 Q — R 3 

18.  R— Kt  3 B— K B I 

A sorry  retreat.  But  after  Q — Q 7,  which  may  have  been 
Black’s  original  intention.  White  plays  R — K B i,  threatening 
B— K B 4. 

19.  R— Q I 

This  move  completes  White’s  development,  and  only  seems 
to  give  Black  a chance  of  castling.  However,  Black  has  no 
satisfactory  continuation. 


196 


CHESS  STRATEGY 

19 Castles  ? 

20.  QxP  ch  PxQ 

21.  B — R 6 Mate 


Game  No.  21 


White  : Eduard  Lasker.  Black  : Aljechin. 

Three  Knights’  Defence. 


1.  P— K 4 P— K 4 

2.  Kt— K B 3 Kt— Q B 3 

3.  Kt-B  3 B-Kt  5 

4-  Kt-Q  5 

Developing  another  piece  by  B — Kt  5 or  B 4 would  be 
more  in  accordance  with  principle. 

4 B— K 2 


There  was  a threat  of  Kt  x B and  Kt  x P.  If  Black  plays 
P — Q 3,  the  B must  retire  all  the  same  after  5 B — Kt  5.  It 
seems  best  to  retire  the  B to  K 2 rather  than  to  B 4 or  R 4, 
because  there  remains  the  threat  of  a pin  subsequently  by  B — 
K Kt  5,  which  might  become  serious  with  the  Knight  at  Q 5. 


5.  B — B 4 

6.  P— Q 3 

7.  KtxB 

8.  P-B  3 


Kt~B  3 

P-Qs 

QxKt 
P— K R 3 


The  K Kt  is  to  support  the  advance  of  P — Q 4 subse- 
quently, and  that  is  why  Black  does  not  want  to  allow  it 
to  be  pinned.  This  is  sound  strategy,  since  White  has  ex- 
changed his  Q Kt,  which  from  B 3 prevents  P — Q 4 in  the 
ordinary  way. 


9.  B— K3 

10.  Q — Q 2 

11.  B— Kt  3 


Castles 

B-K3 


The  first  mistake.  B — Q Kt  5 should  be  played  to  retard 

P-Q4. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES  197 

II BxB 

12.  PxB  P — Q 4 


Diag.  132. 


13.  PxP 

The  second  mistake.  Unimportant  as  it  seems,  it  leads  to  the 
loss  of  the  game.  White  did  not  defend  the  pavm  by  Q — B 2, 
because  it  would  have  proved  10  Q — Q 2 to  have  been  a lost 
move.  But  giving  up  the  centre  is  a far  greater  evil.  Black 
now  commands  his  Q 5 and  K B 5,  and  this  enables  him  to 
start  an  attack  to  which  there  is  no  defence.  The  game  shows 
conclusively  how  important  it  is  to  maintain  the  centre. 


13 KtxP 

14.  Castles  K R P — B 4 

15.  P-Q  Kt  4 P-Q  Kt  3 

16.  Q— K 2 

to  prevent  P — K 5,  which  would  now  be  countered  by 
PxP  and  Q — B 4.  However,  as  P — K 5 cannot  be  prevented 
permanently,  and  the  Q must  move  in  any  case,  Q — B 2 would 
have  been  the  better  move,  as  there  the  Queen  cannot  be 
molested  by  a Rook. 


16 

17.  P— Kt  5 
ik  B — Q 2 
19.  R— R 4 


Q-Q3 
Q Kt— K 2 
Kt— Kt  3 
Q R— K 1 1 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


198 

Black’s  game  is  beautifully  developed,  whilst  White  cannot 
make  a combined  effort.  The  Black  Rooks  are  particularly 
well  placed,  and  threaten  to  take  an  effective  part  in  the 
attack  in  various  ways.  All  this  is  the  outcome  of  White 
losing  the  centre. 

20.  P — K Kt  3 

Though  this  prevents  Kt  (Q  4) — B 5,  it  weakens  K B 3,  which 
is  all  the  more  serious  as  Black  threatens  to  open  the  file  by 

P-B5. 

20 Q— Q 2 

If  now  White  refrains  from  taking  the  pawn.  Black  plays 

P-Q  R 4 ! 

21.  RxP  P — K 5 

22.  Kt — Q 4 PxP 

23.  QxP  Kt — K4 

24.  Q — K 2 P — B 5 


All  the  avenues  of  attack  are  now  open,  and  White’s  game 
collapses  quickly. 


25.  Q— R 5 

26.  Q~B  5 

27.  K— R I 

28.  KtxQ 

29.  R— Q I 

30.  KtxP 

31.  K—Kt  2 
Resigns. 


Kt— K B 3 
Kt — B 6 ch 
QxQ 
KtxB 

Kt  (B  3)-K5 
Kt  X B P ch 
P— B 6 ch 


Game  No.  22 

White  : Forgacz.  Black  : Tartakower. 

French  Defence  (see  p.  48). 

1.  P— K 4 

2.  P— Q 4 

3.  Kt— Q B 3 

4.  B — Kt  5 

5.  P— K 5 


P— K3 
P-Q  4 
Kt— K B 3 
B— K 2 
Kt-Ks 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


199 

K Kt — Q 2 is  better,  because  it  would  suppon  the  advance 
of  P — Q B 4 and  also  be  of  use  eventually  in  an  attack  on 
White’s  centre  by  P — K B 3.  The  text  move  allows  the 
exchange  of  two  minor  pieces,  which  can  only  be  to  White's 
advantage,  as  Black  cannot  get  his  Q B into  play,  and  is  for  a 
long  time  practically  a piece  down. 

6.  KtxKt  BxB 

After  P X Kt  the  pawn  would  be  very  weak,  and  could  hardly 
be  held  for  long. 

7.  KtxB  QxKt 

8.  P— K Kt  3 


To  be  able  to  play  P — K B 
p.  49). 

8 

9.  P— Q B 3 

10.  P— K B 4 

11.  O — Q 2 

12.  Kt — B 3 

13-  B— Q 3 

14.  B — B 2 

15.  Castles  K R 

16.  Q R— K I 


before  developing  the  Kt  (see 

P-QB4 
Kt— B3 
O— K 2 
B-Q2 
Castles  K R 
P— B 5 
P— Q kt  4 
P— kt  5 
P-QR4 


So  far  the  game  is  easy  to  understand  in  the  light  of  the 
remarks  made  on  page  44,  when  treating  of  the  openings. 
The  continuation  shows  in  an  instructive  fashion  that  White’s 


200  CHESS  STRATEGY 

attack  is  the  more  effective,  being  directed  against  the  King’s 
side. 

17.  P— B5!  KPxP 

This  sacrifice  of  a pawn  in  conjunction  with  a second  sacri- 
fice on  the  next  move,  produces  a combination  of  rare  beauty. 


18.  P— Kt  4 ! ! 

PxP 

If  Black  did  not  capture  White  would.  In  either  case  the 

storming  of  the  position  by  pawns  achieves  its  object  and  the 

lines  of  attack  are  free  for  the  pieces 

• 

19.  Kt — Kt  5 

P-Kt3 

Now  that  White  has  made  an  opening  for  himself  at  K B 6, 

the  rest  is  easy.  19... P — R 3 is  of  no  avail.  The  sequel  might 

have  been : 20  Kt — R 7,  K R — Q 

I ; 21  Kt — B 6 ch,  after 

which  White  wins  after  either  P x Kt ; 22  Q x P,  or  K — R i 

KtxP. 

20.  R — B 6 

K— Kt  2 

Black  gets  no  breathing  space. 

If  P — R 3,  then  21  BxP. 

21.  Q R— K B I 

B— K I 

22.  Q — B 4 

Kt-Qi 

23.  P— K 6 

R-Rs 

24.  Q— K5 

K-R3 

23.  Q R-B  5 

Help! 

25 

B PxP 

26.  Kt — B 7 ch 

QxKt 

27  R — R 5 ch 

K— Kt  2 

28.  R X Kt  P mate 

Game  No. 

23 

Wliite  : Yates. 

Black  : Esser. 

French  Defence. 

I.  P— K 4 

P— K3 

2.  P— Q 4 

R-Q4 

3.  Kt— QB3 

Kt— K B 3 

4.  B-Kt  5 

PxP 

5.  BxKt 

PxB 

ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


201 


If  the  Queen  recaptures,  White  obtains  too  great  an  advan- 
tage in  development,  and  therefore  Black  submits  to  the 
doubling  of  his  pawns.  It  is  doubtful  if  this  means  a handicap, 
although  the  King’s  side  gets  broken  up.  For  Black  keeps  his 
two  Bishops,  a powerful  weapon,  unless  VTiite  succeeds  in 
developing  swiftly  an  attack  on  the  King’s  side.  The  present 
game  is  instructive  and  shows  the  chances  afforded  to  both 
sides  by  the  position  brought  about  by  the  exchange  at  K B 6. 

6.  KtxP  P— KB4 

As  the  K B obtains  a long  diagonal  at  Kt  2,  this  advance 
is  justified.  Otherwise  there  would  be  strong  objections  to 
it,  as  the  pawn  is  likely  to  be  subjected  to  attack,  and  apart 
from  that,  it  gives  up  command  of  Black’s  K 4. 

7.  Kt-Q  B 3 

Kt — Kt  3 would  seem  more  natural,  firstly,  because  Black 
has  weaknesses  on  the  K side,  and  White  will  need  his  pieces 
for  attack  in  that  quarter,  and  secondly,  because  the  Q P ought 
to  be  supported  by  P — B 3,  as  Black  will  attack  it  by 
B— Kt  2. 

7 B — Kt  2 

8.  Kt — B 3 Castles 

9.  B — B 4 

If  now  the  Knight  were  at  Kt  3,  White  could  play  P — B 3 
and  B Q 3.  This  is  the  proper  place  for  the  B,  which  might 
obtain  an  open  diagonal  after  P — K Kt  4. 

9 Kt — B 3 

10.  Kt— K 2 Kt— R 4 

11.  B — Q 3 P — B 4 

12.  P — B 3 P — Q B 5 

P — Kt  3 seems  preferable,  as  the  text  move  releases  the 
hold  on  White’s  Q 4.  The  isolated  pawn  resulting  after 
13  PxP  is  not  to  be  feared,  as  the  B at  Kt  2 would  have 
greater  efficiency  (Q  R — Kt  i),  and  White  would  not  be  so 
firmly  established  in  the  centre. 

13.  B — B 2 

14-  Q— Q 2 


P— Kt  4 


202 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


There  now  ensues  an  interesting  struggle.  Wliite  builds 
up  an  attack  with  Q and  both  Knights  and  eventually  the  B 
(P — K Kt  4).  If  Black  can  manage  to  play  his  King  into  safety 
at  R I in  time,  and  then  occupies  the  Kt  file  with  his  Rooks, 
he  would  have  the  better  of  it,  his  pieces  having  by  far  the 
greater  range  of  action. 


14 B — Kt  2 

15-  Q— B 4 Q— B 3 

K — R I and  K R — Kt  i might  be  considered. 


16.  Kt— Kt  3 
17-  Q— B 7 
18.  Q-K  5 


B— K R3 

Q-Qi 


White  gains  a move  by  attacking  the  Knight’s  Pawn.  It 
may  seem  far  fetched  if  I now  point  out  that  this  could  not 
have  happened  if  from  the  first  Black  had  given  preference  to 
the  pawn  formation  at  Q Kt  3 and  B 4 instead  of  Kt  4 and  B 5, 
though  the  whole  game  would  almost  certainly  have  taken  a 
different  course.  Still,  when  advancing  a pawn  into  an  un- 
protected position  there  always  is  the  risk  of  its  becoming  the 
object  of  an  attack  at  an  opportune  moment,  and  whenever 
fhe  plan  of  development  does  not  necessitate  such  moves  they 
are  best  avoided. 


18 B— Q 4 

19.  Kt— R 5 Kt— B 3 ? 

20.  Q — Kt  3 ch  ? ? 


Diag.  134. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES  203 

The  last  moves  have  decided  the  game.  Both  players  have 
overlooked  that  20  Q — B 6 would  have  won  a pawn  at  least 
(QxQ,  21  KtxQ  ch  with  KtxB  and  BxP).  20,..BxKt 
leads  to  an  immediate  loss  by  21  Q xB,  B xKt  ; 22  Q xB  fol- 
lowed by  P — K Kt  4 ! with  an  overwhelming  attack. 

Instead  of  19... Kt — B 3,  Black  should  have  played  P — B 3, 
followed  by  K — R i and  the  occupation  of  the  Kt  file  by  the 
Rooks.  \^ite’s  last  move  allows  him  to  do  this  with  even 
greater  effect. 

20 K — R I 

21.  Q— R 3 R— K Kt  I 

Black  has  now  a preponderance  of  material  on  the  field  of 
battle,  and  it  can  be  concluded  off-hand  that  White,  not  being 
able  to  bring  his  Rooks  into  play,  must  lose. 


22.  Kt— Kt  3 Q— B 3 

23.  K — B I 


K — K 2 is  a shade  better.  But  there  is  no  longer  any 
adequate  defence. 


23 R — Kt  5 

24.  R— K I Q R— K Kt  I 

25.  Kt-K  5 


Black  was  threatening  B x Kt,  followed  by  R — R 5 and 
P— B5 

25 KtxKt 

26.  P X Kt  Q — Kt  4 

27.  Q — R 5 BxP  ch 

28.  K— Kti  RxKt? 


QxQ  and  B — K 5 ch  was  simple  and  effective. 

29.  R P xR  B xR 

30.  QxQ  BxQ 

31.  K xB  R — Q I 

32.  P— B 4 

R-Q  I is  much  more  promising,  although  it  means  the  loss 
of  a pawn  (R  x R and  B — B 8,  etc.).  With  Bishops  of  different 
coloiu:  the  game  is  not  easy  to  win  even  now. 


204 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


32 R — Q 7 

33.  PxB  RxB 

34.  R — Q I R X Kt  P 

35.  R — Q 7 K — Kt  2 

36.  RxR  P R — Q B 7 

He  could  have  played  P — Kt  5 at  once. 

37.  R— R 5 R— Q Kt  7 

38.  P-R  4 

R — R 3 would  only  have  drawn  out  the  agony  a little  longer. 

38 P-Kt  5 

Resigns. 


Game  No.  24 

White  ; Atkins.  Black ; Barry. 

French  Defence. 


1.  P— K 4 

2.  P— Q 4 

3.  Kt— Q B 3 

4.  B-Kt  5 
5-  P-K  5 
6.  BxB 


P— K3 
P-Q4 

Kt— K B 3 
B— K 2 
K Kt— Q 2 
QxB 


Diag.  135. 

7.  Kt— Kt  5 

The  intention  is  to  strengthen  the  centre  by  P — Q B 3. 
Though  it  takes  a number  of  moves  to  bring  the  Knight  into 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


205 

play  again,  yet  most  ol  the  tournament  games  in  this  varia- 
tion have  been  won  by  White,  mostly  through  a King’s  side 
attack  on  the  lines  set  out  in  the  notes  to  Game  No.  22. 
Investigations  by  Alapin  tend  to  show  that  this  is  due  to  the 
fact  that  Black  in  all  cases  devoted  his  attention  to  Queen’s 
side  operations  (just  as  in  Game  No.  22  ) when  he  could  have 
utilised  White’s  backward  development,  by  himself  starting  a 
counter  attack  on  the  King’s  side.  He  can  then  either  aim  at 
the  White  centre  at  once  with  P — K B 3,  or  else  play  P — K B 4 
and  prepare  the  advance  of  the  K Kt  P by  Kt — B 3 — Q i — B 2. 
These  various  lines  of  play  are  still  under  discussion.  Simple 
development  is  probably  preferable  to  the  move  in  the  text, 
e.g.  7 B — Q 3,  Castles  ; 8 P — B 4,  P — Q B 4 ; 9 Kt — B 3. 

7 K— Q I 

There  can  be  no  advantage  in  forfeiting  the  option  of 
castling  unless  there  be  no  other  way  of  getting  the  King  into 
safety  and  of  bringing  the  Rooks  into  concerted  action.  It 
is  obvious  that  otherwise  the  free  development  of  pieces  is 
hindered,  and  the  King  is  in  appreciable  danger,  for  it  is  easier 
to  open  files  in  the  centre  than  on  the  wings  where  the  pawns 
have  not  advanced  yet.  Therefore  Kt — Kt  3 is  the  only  move 
worth  considering. 

8.  P— Q B 3 P— K B 3 

9.  PxP 

With  the  Black  King  remaining  in  the  centre.  White  has  no 
further  interest  in  the  maintenance  of  his  pawn  at  K 5.  On 
the  contrary  he  will  try  to  clear  the  centre. 


9 PxP 

10.  O — Q 2 P — B 3 

11.  Kt— Q R 3 Kt— B I 


At  this  early  stage  it  is  clear  that  Black  will  have  to 
contend  with  difficulties  in  trying  to  complete  his  deve- 
lopment. The  usual  way  (P — Q B 4)  is  barred  on  account 
of  the  dangers  to  Black’s  King  with  which  a clearance  in  the 
centre  is  fraught. 

12.  Kt — B 3 

13.  P — K Kt  3 ! 


B-Q2 


2o6 


CHESS  STRATEGY 

As  Black  can  force  this  advance  at  any  time  by  playing 
R- — K Kt  I,  White  decides  to  develop  his  K B at  Kt  2,  thereby 
covering  his  K B 3 and  K R 3.  The  weakness  of  the  latter 
squares  would  not  be  of  any  great  moment  if  White  were  to 
castle  on  the  Queen’s  wing.  But  as  P — Q B 4 is  necessary  in 
order  to  break  up  the  centre,  castling  K R is  the  right  course. 


13.  ......... 

B— K I 

14.  B — Kt  2 

Q Kt-Q  2 

15.  P— B 4 

PxP 

16.  KtxP 

Kt-Q  Kt  3 

17.  KtxKt 

PxKt 

ik  Castles  K R 

Kt— Kt  3 

19.  K R— K I 

B-Q2 

20.  Q— B3 

R— K I 

21.  Kt — Q 2 

22.  P — Q R 4 ! 

Q-Bi 

White  wishes  to  get  rid  of  the  pawn  at  Black’s  Kt  3,  in 

order  to  break  in  with  his  Knight  at  B 3.  Black  has  no  means 

of  preventing  this,  and  soon 
array  of  White  forces. 

succumbs  to  the  overwhelming 

22.  ......... 

Kt— K 2 

23.  P— R 5 

P-Q  Kt  4 

24.  Kt— Kt  3 

Kt-Q  4 

25.  BxKt 

K PxB 

26.  R X R ch 

BxR 

27.  Kt — B 5 

Q-B2 

28.  R— K I 

K— B 2 

29.  Q— K 3 

B-Q2 

30.  Q— B 4 ch 

Resigns. 

If  K — Q I,  31  Kt  X P ch  followed  by  Kt — Q 6 ch.  If 
K — B I White  wins  by  31  Q — Q 6 and  R — K 7. 


Game  No.  25 

White  : Emanuel  Lasker.  Black  : Tarrasch. 

French  Defence. 


1.  P— K 4 

2.  P— Q 4 


P—K  3 

P-Q4 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


207 


3.  Kt-Q  B 3 

4.  B— Kt  5 


Kt— K B 3 
B-Kt5 


Diag.  136. 


This  line  of  defence,  called  the  McCutcheon  variation,  was 
recommended  for  many  years  by  Tarrasch  as  being  the 
strongest.  The  most  obvious  continuation  5 P — K 5 leads  to 
complications,  and  the  final  verdict  has  not  yet  been  reached. 
After  5...P — K R 3,  the  best  continuation  is  thought  to  be; 


6 PxKt,  PxB;  7 PxP,  R— Kt  i;  8 P— K R 4,  PxP; 
9 Q— R 5,  Q— B 3 ; 10  Q X R P,  Q X P. 


White  has  an  easy  development,  whilst  Black,  as  in  most 
variations  in  the  French  defence,  finds  it  difficult  to  bring  his 
Q B into  play.  After  P — K R 3,  it  is  not  advisable  to  retire 
the  Bishop  ; 6 B — R 4,  P — K Kt  4 ; 7 B — Kt  3,  for  here  the 
Bishop  is  out  of  play,  and  Black’s  King’s  Knight  being  free 
can  play  to  K 5 for  concerted  action  with  Black’s  K B. 
Lasker’s  continuation  in  the  present  instance  is  at  once  simple 
and  effective.  It  leads  to  an  entirely  different  system  of  de- 
velopment. 


QxP 


5.  PxP 


If  Black  recaptures  with  the  pawn,  he  must  lose  a move 
with  the  Bishop  in  order  to  avoid  getting  an  isolated  doubled 
pawn  after  6 Q — B 3.  The  doubled  pawn  which  Black 
may  get  after  the  move  in  the  text  would  not  be  isolated, 
and  therefore  not  necessarily  weak.  It  could  become  a 


2o8 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


weakness  if  Black  were  to  castle  on  the  King’s  side.  But 
otherwise  it  might  even  become  a source  of  strength,  support- 
ing, as  it  would,  an  advance  of  Black’s  K P against  the 
White  centre. 

6.  Kt— B 3 P— B 4 ? 


Black  should  retain  the  option  of  castling  Q R,  in  case 
White  exchanges  at  his  K B 6 ; P — Q Kt  3 and  B — Kt  2 would 
have  been  better. 


7.  BxKt 

8.  Q-Q  2 

9.  QxB 

10.  R — Q I 

11.  PxP 

12.  Q— Q 2 


PxB 
BxKt 
Kt— 0 2 
R— K^Kt  I 
QxP 
Q-Kt3 


guarding  against  the  mate  at  Q i before  moving  the  Kt. 
But  this  would  have  been  better  effected  by  Q — K 2.  After 
Q — Kt  3 the  Knight  cannot  move  yet  because  of  B — Kt  5 ch. 


Diag.  137. 


13.  P— B 3 P— Q R 3 

14.  Q — B 2 P — B 4 

15.  P— K Kt  3 Kt— B 4 

16.  B — Kt  2 Q — B 2 


Black  wishes  to  push  on  the  K P.  White,  however,  prevents 
this  at  once. 


17.  Q-K  2 

18.  Castles 


P— Kt  4 
B— Kt  2 


ILLUb'lKA'UVE  GAMES  209 

The  Black  position  has  any  number  of  weaknesses.  The 
King  cannot  castle  into  safety  ; the  pawn  position  is  full  of 
holes,  and  open  to  attack.  WTiite  takes  full  advantage  of  this 
and  wins  in  masterly  fashion  with  a few  strokes. 

19.  P — B 4 P — Kt  5 

20.  Q — Q 2 R — Kt  I 


Now  V^diite  cannot  capture  the  Kt  P because  of  BxKt. 
But  he  does  not  want  the  pawn,  he  wants  the  King. 


21.  Q — R 6 

22.  BxB 

23.  K R — K I 

24.  Q — B 4 

4. 


BxKt 

Q-K4 

QxP 
QR-Bi 
P— B3 


Mate  in  two  was  threatened  (B — B 6 ch,  etc.). 


26.  B — R 5 ch  R — Kt  3 

27.  B X R ch  P X B 

28.  R X P ch  Resigns. 


Game  No.  26 


White  : Capablanca.  Black  : Blanco 

French  Defence. 


1.  P— K 4 

2.  P— Q 4 

3.  Kt-Q  B 3 

4.  KtxP 

5.  Kt— K B 3 

6.  Kt  X Kt  ch 
7-  Kt-K  5 


P— K 3 

P-Q4 
PxP 
Kt-Q  2 
K Kt— B 3 
KtxKt 


This  crosses  Black’s  plan  of  developing  the  Q B at  Kt  2. 


7 B— Q 3 

8.  Q-B3  P-B3 


9 B — Kt  5 ch,  P — B 3 ; 10  Kt  xP  was  threatened. 

9.  P — B 3 Castles 

10.  B— K Kt  5 B— K 2 

11.  B— Q 3 


o 


210 


CHESS  STRATEGY 

YTiatever  Black  plays  now,  he  must  create  some  weakness 
in  order  to  provide  against  White’s  Q— R 3,  BxKt,  QxR  P, 
and  White’s  attack  must  succeed.  The  whole  of  Black’s  plan 
is  thus  frustrated,  as  the  onl}''  reason  for  abandoning  the  centre 
by  P X P was  the  occupation  of  the  long  diagonal  by  the  Q B. 
Now  the  Queen’s  side  pieces  cannot  get  into  play  without 
much  difficulty,  and  by  the  time  they  have  succeeded  it  is 
too  late. 


II Kt— K I 

Intending  to  intercept  the  diagonal  of  the  White  K B by 
P — K B 4.  If  Black  plays  P — Kt  3 with  the  same  inten- 
tion, White  plays  P — K R 4-5  and  P x P,  and  brings  the  Rook 
into  play. 

12.  Q — R 3 P — K B 4 

P — K R 3 would  lead  to  an  immediate  disaster  ; 13  B x P, 
P X B ; 14  Q X R P,  P — K B 4 ; 15  P — K Kt  4.  The  move  in 
the  text  avoids  the  immiediate  attack  on  the  King,  but  the 
King’s  Pawn  is  now  ” backward,”  and  White  immediately 
fastens  on  this  weakness. 


13.  BxB  QxB 

14.  Castles  K R R — B 3 

15.  K R— K I Kt— Q 3 

16.  R — K 2 B — Q 2 

17.  Q R— K I R— K I 

18.  P—0  B 4 Kt— B 2 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


2II 


19.  P — Q 5 Kt  X Kt 

20.  R X Kt  P — K Kt  3 

21  BxP  was  threatened. 


21.  Q — R 4 K — Kt  2 

22.  Q — Q 4 P — B 4 

23.  Q-B  3 P-Kt  3 

24.  PxP  B — B I 

25.  B — K 2 


The  Bishop  now  settles  at  Q 5,  and  whether  Black  takes 
the  pawn  or  not,  he  is  paralysed  either  by  the  pawn  itself,  or  the 
pin  of  the  Bishop  if  the  pawn  is  taken. 


25 

26.  B — B 3 

27-  B— Q 5 

28.  Q— K 3 

29.  Q— R 6 

30.  P — K R 4 


BxP 
K— B 2 


Q— Q3 


R— K 2 
K— Kt  I 


The  deciding  manceuvre,  tearing 
front  of  the  K. 

30 

31-  P — R 5 

32.  PxP 

33.  RxB 


up  the  chain  of  pawns  in 


P-QR3 
P— B 5 
PxP 
Resigns. 


After  RxR,  34  RxR,  RxR  ; 35  QxP  ch  wins  a piece. 
A beautifully  concise  game. 


Game  No.  27 

White  : Niemzowitsch.  Black  ; Tarrasch. 
French  Defence. 


I.  P— K 4 ‘ P— Q B 4 


This  opening  is  called  the  Sicilian  Defence.  White,  how- 
ever, adopts  a continuation  which  leads  into  a variation  of 
the  French  Defence. 


2.  P— Q B 3 

3-  P— Q4 
4.  P-K  5 
5-  Kt-B  3 
6.  B-Q3 


P— K 3 
P-Q4 

Kt-Q  B 3 

Q-Kt3 

PxP 


212 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


Black  seeks  to  demonstrate  that  White’s  Q P is  weak.  The 
present  game,  however,  seems  to  prove  that  White  is  able  to 
guard  it  adequately,  thus  permanently  supporting  the  K P too. 
It  would  therefore  appear  to  be  better  to  attack  the  K P itself, 
and  to  play  P — B 3 on  the  fifth  move.  Now  B — Q 2 would  be 
better  than  the  text  move.  As  White  cannot  give  further 
support  to  his  Q 4,  he  would  have  to  play  P x P,  and  the  pro- 
tection of  the  K 5 would  have  to  be  undertaken  by  pieces, 
which  is  not  desirable. 

7.  PxP  B— Q 2 

Not  Kt  X P,  8 Kt  X Kt,  Q x Kt,  because  of  B — Kt  5 ch. 

8.  B—K  2 

The  B cannot  go  to  B 2 on  account  of  Kt — Kt  5 and  B — Kt  4. 

8 KKt~K2 

9.  P— Q Kt  3 Kt— B 4 

10.  B — Kt  2 

Now  White’s  centre  is  safe  from  further  attacks.  Trae, 
White  has  forfeited  castling,  but  as  he  dominates  the  King’s 
side,  where  Black  cannot  undertake  anjrthing,  there  is  no 
harm  in  P — Kt  3,  preparatory  to  " artificial  castling.” 

10 B — Kt  5 ch 

11.  K — B I B — K 2 

Directed  against  12  P — Kt  4,  driving  off  the  Kt.  Now 
Kt — R 5 would  follow. 

12.  P — Kt  3 P — Q R 4 


Diag.  139. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


213 

This  manoeuvre  is  unwise  ; White  counters  with  13  P — Q R 4, 
a move  which  was  necessary  in  any  case,  in  order  to  develop 
the  Q Kt  via  R 3,  this  being  the  Knight’s  only  chance  of  getting 
into  play,  because  as  long  as  the  Q P is  attacked  three  times 
the  lines  of  B and  Q must  not  be  interrupted.  That  is  a 
weakness  in  White’s  game,  and  it  was  necessary  for  Black  to 
prevent  his  Kt  being  driven  off  by  P — K Kt  4.  P — K R 4 was 
the  correct  move.  Then  White  also  had  to  play  P — K R 4 to 
prevent  P — K Kt  4-5,  in  which  case  Black  could  have  played 
13... P — K Kt  3,  and  have  brought  his  Rooks  into  concerted 
action.  P — K Kt  3 would  have  been  necessary  before  castling, 
because  White’s  B — Q 3 would  have  attacked  the  K Kt.  The 
latter  could  not  then  capture  the  Queen’s  Pawn  on  account 
of  a discovered  check,  e.g.  12... Castles  ; 13  B — Q 3,  Kt  xP  ? ; 
14  Kt  X Kt,  Kt  X Kt  ; 15  B x Kt,  Q x B ? ; 16  B — R 7 ch,  and 
QxQ. 

In  Diagram  139  Black’s  P — Q R 4 is  not  only  a lost  move, 
but  moreover  allows  a White  piece  to  settle  permanently  at 
Q Kt  5.  It  also  prevents  the  Knight  from  playing  to  Q R 4, 
from  where  White’s  P — Q R 4 could  be  answered  by  Kt — Kt  6 
eventually. 


13.  P — Q R 4 R — Q B I 

14.  B— Kt  5 Kt-^t  5 

All  these  skirmishes  only  result  in  the  exchange  of  pieces, 
and  as  long  as  Black’s  K R is  out  of  play  this  can  only  be  of 
advantage  to  White. 

15.  Kt— B 3 Kt— Q R 3 

This  is  in  order  to  drive  off  the  B.  Black  should  have  ex- 
changed his  own  inactive  Q B,  as  the  White  B might  become 
effective  on  the  Diagonal  Q Kt  i — K R 7,  whilst  Black’s  Q B 
has  no  future. 

16.  K— Kt  2 Kt— B 2 

17.  B— K 2 B— Kt  5 

Black  cannot  yet  castle,  because  of  18  B — Q 3 Kt — K R 3, 
19  B— Q B I). 


214 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


i8.  Kt— R 2 
19-  B— Q 3 

20.  R — Q B I 

21.  Kt  xB 

22.  B — Kt  I 


Kt-Q  R 3 
Kt— K 2 
Kt— B 3 
Q KtxKt 


White’s  last  eight  moves  completed  his  development,  and 
his  Bishops  lie  in  wait  for  the  attack  on  the  Black  King. 
Meanwhile  Black  has  effected  nothing.  On  the  contrary,  he 


Diag.  140. 


has  exchanged  his  valuable  K B,  and  also  allowed  his  K Kt  to 
be  driven  off.  His  King’s  side  is  bare,  and  castling  would  be 
fraught  with  danger.  If  Black  castles  now,  White  plays 
Kt — Kt  5,  and  Black  must  weaken  his  position  by  P — R 3 or 
P — Kt  3,  and  White  would  advance  his  Kt  P or  R P and  force 
an  exchange,  opening  a file  for  his  Rook.  In  consequence 
Black  decides  to  forfeit  castling  and  to  bring  his  K R to  bear 
on  the  K B file.  For  this  also  Black  must  first  play  P — R 3, 
and  White  obtains  an  open  file  by  P — Kt  4 — Kt  5,  The  sequel 
is  shown  here. 

22 P — R 3 

23.  P— Kt  4 Kt— K 2 

24.  R X R ch  B X R 

25.  Kt— K I 

White  waits  first,  to  see  whether  Black  is  going  to  castle, 
and  meanwhile  tries  to  exchange  Black’s  Q Kt,  which  com- 
mands his  Q B 2 and  Q 3. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES  215 


25- 

R— B I 

26. 

Kt-Q3 

P— B3 

27. 

KtxKt 

QxKt 

28. 

PxP 

RxP 

29. 

B— B I 

Kt-B3 

30. 

P-Kt5 

PxP 

31- 

BxP 

R— B I 

32. 

B-K3 

Q-K2 

33- 

Q-Kt4 

This  provides  against  Black  attempting  to  free  his  Bishop  by 
P — K 4.  Black’s  B — Q 2 is  countered  by  B — Kt  6 ch.  White 
new  wins  surprisingly  quickly,  through  the  greater  mobility 
of  his  pieces. 

33 Q— B 3 

34.  R — Kt  I R — R I 

35.  K— R I R— R 5 


Here  Black  could  have  held  out  a little  longer  by  defend- 
ing his  Kt  P : 35. . .K — B i ; 36  R — Kt  3,  R — R 5 ; 37  Q — Q i, 
K-Kt  I ; 38  B-Kt  5,  Q X P (R  X P,  39  Q-R  5)  1 39  R-Q  3. 
QxP  ; 40  BxR,  QxB. 


36.  Q— Kt  3 RxP 


Compulsory.  B — Kt  5 was  threatened,  and  after  R — R i, 
Q X P,  Q X Q,  R X Q,  the  R P wins  easily. 


37.  BxR 

38.  QxP 

39.  Q— Kt  2 

40.  RxQ 

41.  P — R 4 


KtxB 
Q— B 6 ch 

QxQ  ch 

KtxP 

Resigns. 


Game  No.  28 

White  : Alapin.  Black  : Rubinstein. 

Sicilian  Defence. 

I.  P— K 4 P— Q B 4 

At  first  glance  this  move  would  seem  to  lose  time,  as  it 
does  nothing  towards  the  main  object  of  opening  strategy, 
namely,  the  development  of  pieces.  But  we  shall  find  that 


2I6 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


it  does  contribute  to  that  aim,  although  indirectly.  For  one 
thing  it  could,  by  a transposition  of  moves,  lead  into  an  open- 
ing in  which  P — Q B 4 is  played  in  any  case  ; in  other 
openings  it  is  of  use,  in  that  it  acts  from  the  first  against  the 
formation  of  a strong  white  centre.  Concurrently  it  prepares 
the  opening  of  a file  for  the  Rooks. 


2.  Kt— K B 3 


Kt— K B 3 ? 


Black  should  not  play  Kt — K B 3 as  long  as  White’s 
P — K 5 means  the  clear  gain  of  a move.  There  are  plenty 
of  developing  moves  to  choose  from. 

Two  systems  of  development  can  be  followed  by  Black 
according  to  whether  the  K B is  to  develop  at  K 2 or  Kt  2.  In 
the  first  case  (compare  Game  No.  29)  P — K 3 is  played.  In  the 
second  case,  the  opening  might  take  this  course : 2. . .Kt — Q B 3 ; 


3 P— Q 4,  PxP;  4 KtxP,  Kt— B 3;  5 Kt— Q B 3,  P— Q 3 


(not  P — K Kt  3 at  once,  because  White  would  exchange  Knights 
and  drive  off  the  K Kt  by  P — K 5) ; 6 B — K 3,  P — K Kt  3,  and 
B — Kt  2.  White’s  position  is  superior,  as  he  has  a pawn  in 
the  centre  in  conjunction  with  greater  mobility.  Black  will 
find  it  difiicult  to  bring  his  Q B into  play.  Nevertheless  his 
position  is  compact  and  difiicult  to  get  at. 


3-  P-K  5 


Undoubtedly  Rubinstein  had  taken  this  move  into  account 
when  playing  2...Kt — K B 3.  His  idea  was  to  provoke  the 
advance  of  the  K P.  The  pawn  at  K 5 is  weaker  than  at  K 4, 
particularly  as  Black’s  Q B P prevents  its  natural  support  by 
P — Q 4.  Moreover  Black’s  Q 4 is  free  from  interference  by 
White.  White  refutes  this  ultra  subtilty  by  simple  and  straight- 
forward play,  and  he  gets  such  an  advantage  in  development 
that  his  attack  succeeds  before  Black  is  able  to  demonstrate 
any  weakness  in  White's  game. 


4.  Kt — B 3 

5.  Q PxKt 

6.  B— Q B 4 


3- 


Kt-Q4 

KtxKt 

Kt-B3 

P-Q3 


After  6. . .P — K 3,  7 B — B 4 would  restrain  the  Q P. 

7.  B— B 4 PxP 


PxP 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


217 

At  this  early  stage  Black  has  no  satisfactory  means  of  de- 
velopment. The  Q P is  attacked  three  times,  and  therefore 
the  K P cannot  move,  nor  can  the  K B be  developed  at  Kt  2. 
B — Kt  5,  in  order  to  play  BxKt  and  PxP,  is  refuted  by 
B X P ch.  The  move  in  the  text  which  brings  about  the  ex- 
change of  Queens,  but  develops  another  White  piece  at  the 
same  time,  is  more  or  less  forced.  It  is  instructive  to  watch 
how  White’s  advantage  in  development  soon  materialises. 

8.  Kt  xP  Q xQ  ch 

9.  RxQ  KtxKt 

10.  B X Kt  P — Q R 3 

\\Tiite’s  threat  of  B — Kt  5 ch  could  not  be  panied  by 
B — Q 2 because  of  ii  B xP  ch. 


Diag.  141. 


11.  B — B 7 

12.  P — B 3 

13.  B— Kt  6 

14.  B — Kt  3 

15.  B — R 4 ch 

16.  P— Q B 4 

Here  White  could  have  won 
If  then  K — K 3,  17  P — Q B 4. 

16 

17.  K— B 2 

18.  B— Q7! 

19.  R xB  ch 

20.  K R— Q I 1 


B— Kt  5 
QR-Bi 
B— B 4 
P— K 4 
K— K 2 


a pawn  at  once  by  R — Q 5. 


P— B 3 
K— B 2 
BxB 
B— K 2 


2I8 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


The  pawns  can  wait.  20  RxP  would  not  have  been  pro- 
fitable because  of  R — Q Kt  i. 

20.  .........  K— K3 

21.  RxP  B — Q 3 

Black  might  have  resigned  here.  It  is  only  a question  of 
time. 

22.  B — R 7 R — B 3 

Otherwise  there  follows  R — Kt  6. 


23- 

RxP 

P— Q R 4 

24. 

R— Kt  7 

R — R I 

25- 

R— Qs 

P— R4 

26. 

P-QR4 

P-RS 

27. 

P — Q Kt  3 

R (R  i) — Q B 1 

28. 

R— Kt  5 

Resigns. 

Game  No.  29 

White  : Teichmann.  Black  : Spielmann. 

Sicilian  Defence  (see  p.  215). 

1.  P— -K  4 P— Q B 4 

2.  Kt — Q B 3 P — K 3 

3.  K Kt— K 2 

This  comes  to  the  same  as  Kt — B 3,  as  after  P — Q 4,  P x P 
the  Knight  recaptures.  If,  however,  Black  plays  P — Q 4 
there  is  a certain  advantage  for  White  to  have  the  Kt  at  K 2, 
e.g.  3...P — Q4;  4 PxP,  PxP;  5 P — Q 4.  If  now  Black 
does  not  exchange  pawns,  White  is  able  to  bring  his  K B to 
bear  on  the  centre  after  P — K Kt  3 and  B — Kt  2. 

3-  Kt— QB3 

White  can  exchange  this  Knight  later  on,  and  thus  make 
P — K 5 possible  as  soon  as  he  should  deem  it  advisable  to 
drive  the  Black  Knight  from  his  K B 3,  where  the  same  is 
bound  to  develop  sooner  or  later.  It  is  perhaps  wise  to  pre- 
vent P — K 5 by  Q — B 2 instead  of  the  move  in  the  text.  This 
is  an  old  defence,  introduced  by  Paulsen.  Though  it  retards 
the  development  of  Black’s  minor  pieces,  it  produces  a strong 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


2ig 

defensive  position,  and  the  opening  of  the  Q B file  gives  attack- 
ing chances  on  the  Queen’s  side.  The  defence  might  run 
like  this  : 3. . .P — Q R 3 ; 4 P — Q 4,  P X P ; 5 Kt  x P,  Q — B 2 ; 
6 B— K 3,  Kt— K B 3 ; 7 B— K 2,  B— K 2 ; 8 Castles,  P— Q Kt  4 
followed  by  B — Kt  2,  P — Q 3,  Q Kt — Q 2,  etc. 

4.  P— Q4  PxP 

5.  Kt  xP  P — Q R 3 

6.  Kt  X Kt  Kt  F X Kt 

7.  B — Q 3 P — Q 4 

8.  Castles  Kt — B 3 

9.  B— K B 4 B— Kt  5 


Diag.  142. 


As  White  can  force  Black  to  play  P — Kt  3,  a weakening 
move,  by  P — K 5 and  Q — Kt  4,  Black  should  have  played 
P — Kt  3 at  once,  so  as  to  have  Kt — R 4 in  answer  to  P — K 5, 
thus  keeping  one  piece  for  the  defence  of  the  King’s  side. 
The  latter  is  in  jeopardy  after  the  move  in  the  text,  and  White’s 
attack  succeeds. 

10.  P — K 5 Kt — Q 2 

11.  Q — Kt  4 P — Kt  3 

12.  K R— K I P— Q B 4 

Of  course  Black  must  not  accept  the  sacrifice  of  the  ex- 
change by  playing  P — Q 5.  After  13  Kt — K 4,  B x R ; 14  Kt — 
Q 6 ch,  K — B I ; 15  R x B,  Black  is  in  a mating  net,  from  which 
there  is  no  escape,  as  he  has  no  time  to  collect  sufficient  forces 
for  the  defence.  The  move  in  the  text  does  not  stem  the  tide 


220  CHESS  STRATEGY 


either,  and  White  quickly  forces  the 
bination. 

win  by  a beautiful  com- 

13.  P— Q R 3 

B— R 4 

14.  B— K Kt  5 

Q-Kt  3 

Q — B 2 leads  to  the  same  conclusion. 

15.  P-Kt  4 ! 

PxP 

16.  KtxP 

17.  P— K 6 

PxKt 

The  object  of  White’s  fifteenth  move  is  revealed.  With- 
out it  the  R at  K I would  now  be  attacked. 

17 

P— B 4 

Kt — B 4 fails  on  account  of  18 
K 7 ch,  followed  by  Q — K B 4. 

P X P ch,  K X P ; 19  R— 

18.  P X Kt  double  ch 

KxP 

19.  BxP  ch 

Resigns, 

Game  No.  30 

White  : Tarrasch.  Black : Spielmann. 

Sicilian  Defence. 

1.  P— K 4 P— Q B 4 

2.  Kt— Q B 3 Kt— Q B 3 

3.  P-K  Kt  3 

Speedy  development  by  Kt — B 3 and  P — Q 4 is  more  desir- 
able, as  otherwise  Black  may  have  time  to  get  a firm  footing 
at  his  Q 5. 

3 P— K Kt  3 

4.  B — Kt  2 B — Kt  2 

The  Black  Bishop  is  the  more  effective,  as  the  line  of  the 
White  Bishop  is  masked  by  the  K P.  Small  as  this  advantage 
would  seem,  it  becomes  serious  later  on.  It  is  another  con- 
firmation of  the  doctrine  that  the  value  of  each  manoeuvre 
in  the  opening  depends  on  the  measure  of  mobility  it  affords 
for  the  pieces. 


5.  K Kt— K 2 

6.  P-Q3 


Kt— B3 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES  221 

Here  White  could  still  obtain  a freer  game  with  P — Q 4. 
Perhaps  he  was  afraid  of  losing  a pawn  after  6. . .P  x P ; 
7 Kt  xP,  Kt  xP.  But  there  is  nothing  in  it,  e.g.  8 K Kt  xKt, 
KtxKt;  9 KtxQ,  KtxQ;  10  KtxB  P!  (KtxKt  P? 
BxKt;  iiBxB,  R— QKti),  KxKt(KtxBP?  ; iiKtxR, 
Kt  X R ; 12  Kt  X P,  Kt  X P ; 13  Kt  x P),  K x Kt.  There  was 
nothing  else  to  be  feared  after  P — Q 4. 

6 P-Q  3 

7.  Castles  B — Q 2 

in  order  to  play  Q — B i and  B — R 6 and  to  exchange 
Bishops,  after  which  there  would  be  weak  points  at  White’s 
K R 3 and  K B 3. 

8.  P — K R 3 Castles 

9.  B— K 3 P— K R 3 

Black  also  prevents  an  exchange  of  Bishops. 

10.  Q — Q 2 K — R 2 

11.  P— B 4 Kt— K I 

The  position  has  now  become  exceedingly  difficult.  In 
order  to  make  the  most  of  the  favourable  development  of  his 
K B,  Black  must  advance  on  the  Queen’s  side.  But  in  moving 
his  King’s  side  pieces  over  to  the  Queen’s  side.  Black  must 
proceed  warily,  as  White  might  get  chances  of  an  attack  with 
overwhelming  forces  on  the  King’s  side. 

12.  P— K Kt  4 Kt— B 2 

13.  Kt— Kt  3 

Here  it  was  necessary  to  play  R — B 2 in  order  to  play  the 
Q R to  K B I before  Black  could  manage  to  drive  the  Kt  to 
Q I by  P— Q Kt  4-5. 

13 P— Q Kt  4 

14.  Kt — Q I ? 

It  would  still  have  been  better  to  play  Q R — K i and  to 
leave  the  Queen’s  side  to  itself  as  long  as  possible  after  P — Kt  5, 
15  Kt — Q I,  in  order  to  start  an  assault  on  the  King’s  side  with 
P — B 5,  P — K R 4,  and  P — Kt  5.  Alter  the  text  move  the 
Queen’s  Rook  remains  shut  in. 


14 

15.  Kt — K 2 


Q R— Kt  I 


222 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


in  order  to  play  P — B 3 and  P — Q 4.  The  whole  plan,  how- 
ever, is  inconsequent,  as  he  has  started  an  attack  on  the 
King’s  side.  Now  he  suddenly  opens  up  files  on  the  Queen’s 
side  where  Black  has  assembled  superior  forces.  The  result 
is  that  White  gets  into  trouble  on  both  wings,  for  as  soon  as  he 
gives  up  his  King’s  side  attack,  the  advanced  pawns  there, 
as  one  knows,  are  only  a source  of  weakness. 


15 

16.  P — B 3 

17.  PxP 

18.  P-Q  4 

19.  PxP 

20.  R — B I 

21.  P— Q 5 


P— Kt  5 

PxP 

Q-Bi 

PxP 

Q-R3 

Kt— Kt  4 


Diag.  143- 


This  shuts  in  the  White  K B altogether,  and  at  the  same 
time  opens  the  diagonal  of  Black’s  K B.  Therefore,  on 
principle  alone  the  move  is  questionable.  In  effect  it  gives 
Black  an  opportunity  for  a beautiful  winning  combination. 
Only  P — K 5 was  worth  considering,  as  then  the  opposing 
Bishop  would  have  been  shut  in  and  White’s  own  diagonal 
opened. 

21 

22.  QxKt 

23.  QxKt 

24.  KtxB 


Kt— Kt  5 ! 1 

Kt-Q5 

BxQ 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


223 

Although  three  minor  pieces  are  generally  an  equivalent 
for  the  Queen,  in  this  case  the  White  game  collapses  quickly. 
The  advanced  pawns  have  produced  too  many  weak  points 
which  afford  an  entry  for  the  Black  forces. 

24 K R — B I 

25.  RxR  RxR 

26.  R — B 2 Q — R 6 

27.  R — K 2 

B — R 5 was  threatened.  But  the  text  move  is  of  no  avail 
either.  Black  winds  up  the  game  with  another  fine  com- 
bination. 

27 R— B 8 1 

28.  BxR  QxB 

If  R— K I,  Q— B 4. 

29.  Kt — B 3 Q X Kt  ch 

30.  K — B 2 B — Kt  4 

Resigns. 


Game  No.  31 

White:  John.  Black:  Janowski 

Sicilian  Defence. 


1.  P— K 4 

2.  Kt— K B 


• P-Q  4 
. Ktx 


3 


P-QB4 
Kt-Q  B 3 
PxP 
Kt-B3 


The  aim  of  this  move  is  to  provoke  Kt — B 3,  and  incident- 
ally to  prevent  P — Q B 4.  The  latter  move  would  give  White 
command  of  his  Q 5 and  not  only  prevent  Black’s  P — Q 4 
but  also  immobilise  Black’s  K P unless  his  Q P is  to  remain 
" backward.” 

5.  Q Kt-B  3 P-K  Kt  3 

As  shown  on  p.  216,  P — Q 3 must  be  played  first.  In  any 
case  Black  must  be  wary  of  playing  P — K Kt  3.  If,  for  instance, 
after  P — Q 3 Wliite  plays  6 B — Q B 4,  and  Black  replies  with 
P — K Kt  3,  there  follows  7 Kt  x Kt,  P x Kt ; 8 P — K 5 !, 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


224 

Kt— Kt  5 (PxP  ?,  9 BxP  ch)  ; 9 P— K 6,  P— K B 4,  with 
advantage  to  White  (see  game  in  the  match  Schlechter-Lasker). 


6.  KtxKt  KtPxKt 

7.  P— K 5 Kt— Kt  I 

8.  B-Q  B 4 P-Q  4 

9.  PxP,  e.p.  PxP 

10.  Q— B 3 


Diag.  144. 


White  has  now  three  pieces  in  action  and  Black  none. 
Black’s  game  is  hopeless  already  ; his  B 2 cannot  be  covered 
by  0 — Q 2 because  of:  11  BxP  ch,  QxB;  12  QxP  ch, 
and  after  Q — K 2 ch  there  follows  : ii  B — K 3,  B — Kt  2 ; 
12  Castles  Q R,  and  13  K R — Ki,  with  an  overwhelming  attack. 

10  Q— Q 2 

11.  Kt— Q 5 , 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  his  game  is  so  much  more  developed, 
and  that  the  opposing  King  will  hardly  be  able  to  escape  from 
the  centre  of  the  board.  White  decides  to  sacrifice  a Knight 
in  order  to  open  the  files  in  the  centre  for  his  Rooks,  instead  of 
following  the  simple  line  indicated  in  the  previous  note. 

11  PxKt 

12.  BxP  Q — K 2 ch 

13.  B— K 3 R— Kt  I 

14.  Castles  K R 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


225 

Castles  Q R is  stronger  still,  as  the  Q R gets  into  action  at 
once. 

14 B— K Kt  2 

15.  B— K B 4 R— Kt  3 

16.  B — 3 6 ch  RxB 

If  B — Q 2,  the  continuation  might  have  been  : 17  B x B, 
Q xB  ; 18  Q R — Q i,  Q — Kt  2 ; 19  K R — K i ch,  Kt — K 2 ; 
20  RxKt  ch,  KxR;  21  BxP  ch,  etc.;  or  18... Q — B i; 
19  B X P,  etc. 

After  17  R — K i Black  could  have  held  out  a little  longer 
with  B — B 3.  After  the  text  move,  however.  Black’s  game 
collapses  quickly  before  the  concentrated  onslaught  of  the 
White  forces. 


17- 

Q xR  ch 

Q-Q2 

18. 

Q R — K I ch 

Kt— K 2 

19. 

RxKt  ch  ! 

KxR 

20. 

R — K I ch 

K— B I 

21. 

B xP  ch 

K— Kt  I 

22. 

R— K 8 ch 

B— B I 

23- 

R xB  ch 

K— Kt  2 

24. 

Q— B 3 ch 

Resigns. 

Game  No.  32 

White ; Ed.  Lasker.  Black  : Mieses. 

Centre  Counter  Defence. 

1.  P— K 4 P—0  4 

2.  PxP  Kt— KB3 

This  is  to  tempt  White  to  play  P — Q B 4,  a weak  move 
(see  p.  35).  By  playing  P — Q B 3 Black  would  obtain  by 
far  the  better  game  in  exchange  for  the  pawn. 

3-  P— Q 4 QxP 

KtxP  can  also  be  played.  In  cither  case  White  wins  a 
move  by  driving  off  the  Black  piece  by  Kt — Q B 3 or  P — Q B 4. 
Furthermore,  White  has  a pawn  in  the  centre.  Black’s  plan 
in  retaking  with  the  Queen  might  be  to  castle  early  on  the 

P 


226 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


Queen’s  side  and  attack  White’s  centre  pawn  by  P — K 4,  and 
White  must  be  on  the  alert  against  this  plan,  though  it  will  not 
be  easy  for  Black  to  put  the  same  into  execution,  because  of 
the  exposed  position  of  his  Queen.  After  4 Kt — Q B 3,  Q — Q R 4 
is  the  only  move  which  brings  the  Queen  into  momentary 
security,  and  even  then  Black  must  provide  for  a retreat,  as 
after  White’s  B — Q 2 there  would  be  a threat  of  an  advan- 
tageous " discovery  ” by  the  Kt.  P — Q B 3 provides  such  a 
retreat,  but  it  bars  the  Q Kt  from  its  natural  development  at 
B 3,  where  the  Kt  could  exert  further  pressure  on  White’s 
Q 4.  The  Q B,  too,  is  difficult  to  get  into  play  and  easily 
becomes  an  object  of  attack,  as  in  the  present  game. 


4 Kt-Q  B 3 
5-  Kt-B  3 


Q-QR4 

B— B 4 


B — Kt  5 would  only  help  White’s  intentions  to  attack  on 
the  King’s  side  in  the  absence  of  Black’s  Queen,  e.g.  6 P — K R 3, 
B — R 4 ; 7 P — K Kt  4,  B — Kt  3 ; 8 Kt — K 5 (threatening 
Kt— B 4),  P— B 3 ; 9 P— K R 4,  Q Kt— Q 2 ; 10  Kt— B 4, 
Q — B 2 ; II  P — R 5,  B — K 5 ; 12  Kt  x B,  Kt  x Kt ; 13  Q — B 3 
and  B — B 4 with  the  superior  game. 


6.  Kt— K 5 ! Kt— K 5 

P — B 3 was  urgent  here,  to  provide  against  Kt — B 4 and 
Q — B 3.  Now  the  game  is  as  good  as  lost.  White  obtains  a 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES  227 

violent  attack  with  superior  forces,  and  brings  it  home  before 
Black  has  time  to  complete  his  development. 

7.  Q— B 3 Kt— Q 3 

If  KtxKt,  B— Q 2. 

8.  B— Q 2 P— K 3 

9.  P— K Kt  4 B— Kt  3 

Black  had  to  guard  his  K B 2 because  of  Kt — Kt  5,  Kt  x Kt, 
Q X P ch. 

10.  P— K R 4 Q— Kt  3 

11.  Castles  P — K B 3 

Compulsory.  Kt — B 3 is  refuted  by  12  Kt  x Kt,  Q xKt ; 
13  Q X Q,  P X Q ; 14  B — Kt  2 and  P — R 5.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  answer  to  11...Q xP  would  be  12  B — K B 4,  Q — B 4; 
13  P — R 5,  P — B 3 ; 14  P X B,  P X Kt ; 15  B — K Kt  5 followed 
by  R X Kt  and  R — Q 8 or  Q — B 7 mate. 

12.  KtxB  PxKt 

13-  B— Q3  QxP 

K — B 2 or  P — K B 4 were  also  unavailing  in  consequence 
of  Black’s  poor  development. 

14.  B X P ch  K — Q 2 

15.  B— K 3 Q— Kt  5 

16.  P — R 3 Q — B 5 

17.  Q X Kt  P Q — B 3 

18.  B — K 4 Resigns. 


Game  No.  33 

White  ; Barasz.  Black  : Mieses. 

Centre  Counter  Defence. 


1.  P— K 4 

2.  PxP 

3.  Kt— Q B 3 
4-  Kt-B  3 


P-Q4 

QxP 

Q-QK4 


It  is  better  to  advance  the  Q P at  once  and  so  threaten 
B — 0 2,  after  which  Black  is  almost  under  compulsion  to  pro- 
vide a retreat  for  his  Q by  P — Q B 3,  thus  blocking  his  Q Kt. 


228 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


4 

5.  B — K 2 

6.  P-Q  3 


Kt-QB3 
B— B 4 


Already  now  the  mistake  of  having  allowed  Black  to  de- 
velop his  Queen’s  side  unmolested  is  apparent.  P — Q 4 is 
now  impossible,  for  Black  would  castle  on  the  Queen’s  side 
and  keep  the  initiative  by  exerting  a permanent  pressure  on 
WTiite’s  Q P by  P — K 4.  White  must  yield  up  the  centre  to 
Black. 


6.  

7.  B — Q 2 

8.  P-Q  R 3 


P— K 4 


Castles 


Q-B4 


The  Queen  must  escape  from  White’s  threat  of  P — Q Kt  4. 


Kt— B3 
Q-K2 


g.  Castles 

10.  P— Q Kt  4 

11.  P — Kt  5 


This  advance  is  somewhat  purposeless,  as  the  White  pieces 
are  not  ready  for  an  attack  on  Black’s  King.  It  is  difficult, 
though,  to  find  a sensible  plan,  as  the  White  pieces  have  so  little 
mobility.  It  would  perhaps  be  best  to  play  R — K i,  B- — B i, 
and  Kt— K 4. 


II. 


Kt-Q5 


12.  R — K I 

13.  B — K B I 

14.  Q — Kt  I ? 


Diag.  146. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


229 

The  purpose  of  this  move  is  not  clear.  The  advance  of  the 
Kt  P could  only  be  condoned  by  a desire  to  obtain  an  open 
file,  and  it  seems  illogical  to  protect  it  now.  If  White  wanted 
to  escape  the  pinning  of  his  K Kt  he  need  not  have  moved  the 
Queen.  Kt  x Kt  would  have  effected  this  and  prevented  the 
King’s  side  from  being  laid  bare. 

White’s  game  would  still  have  been  bad,  particularly  as  the 
exchange  at  Q 4 opens  the  diagonal  for  the  Black  K B,  but 
the  move  in  the  text  has  even  a worse  effect.  Mieses  concludes 
the  game  with  an  elegant  sacrifice. 


14 

15.  PxKt 

16.  Q P xP 

17.  KxB 

18.  B— Kt  2 

19.  R — K 2 

20.  Kt  X R 

21.  PxB 

22.  K — R I 


Kt  X Kt  ch 
P— K 5 ! 

B xP  ch 
Q xP  ch 
RxB 
RxR 
QxKt 
Q— K 4 ch 
R— K I 


Black  has  wrought  fearful  havoc  in  the  White  ranks,  and 
the  defenceless  King  cannot  withstand  the  onslaught  of  the 


three  White  pieces  for  long. 

23.  P— Q B 4 

24.  K — Kt  I 

25.  K — R 2 

threatening  Q — R 5 ch,  Q — B 

26.  Q — R I 

27.  P — B 4 

28.  K— Kt  I 
Resigns. 


Kt— R4 
Q— Q 5 ch 
R— K 7 

ch,  and  mate  at  Kt  7 or  R 7. 

0— K 4 ch 
Q xP  ch 
Q— Q 5 ch 


Game  No.  34 

White  : Em.  Lasker.  Black  : Niemzowitsch. 
Caro-Kann  Defence  (compare  p.  50). 

1.  P— K 4 P— Q B 3 

2.  P-Q  4 P-Q  4 


230 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


3.  Kt— Q B 3 

4.  KtxP 

5.  Kt  X Kt 

6.  B— K 2 

7.  B— B 3 

8.  P-B  3 


PxP 
Kt— B 3 
Kt  P X Kt 
B— B 4 
Q — R 4 ch 
P— K R 4 ! 


A deep  conception.  If  White  accepts  the  proffered  sacri- 
fice of  a pawn,  he  loses  time,  as  he  must  retire  his  B before 
bringing  out  his  Kt,  and,  moreover,  the  K R file  being  open,  he 
can  only  castle  on  the  Q side.  But  there  the  Black  Queen 
is  ready  for  the  attack.  If  he  refuses  the  sacrifice,  the  text 
move  is  still  of  value,  as  even  then  it  is  hardly  advisable  for 
White  to  castle  on  the  K side,  whilst  Black  can  play  B — R 3 
as  soon  as  it  might  be  desirable  to  exchange  White’s  Q B. 


9.  BxP 

10.  B — Kt  4 

11.  QxB 

12.  Kt — K 2 

13.  B— B 4 


Kt-Q2 
BxB 
Castles 
P— K 3 
Q-Q  Kt  4 ! 


Black  is  the  first  to  complete  his  development,  and  he 
assumes  the  offensive. 

14.  Castles  Q R 1 

This  is  much  stronger  than  the  alternative  P — Q Kt  3, 
which  would  fatally  disturb  the  pawn  skeleton,  particularly 
as  castling  is  only  possible  on  the  Q side.  Although  Black 
can  now  gain  two  pawns.  White  obtains  an  attack  and  Black 
only  just  manages  to  escape  with  a draw. 

14  Kt — Kt  3 

15.  Kt-Kt  3 

intending  Q — K 2 in  answer  to  Kt — B 5.  Again  P — Q Kt  3 
is  not  to  be  thought  of,  and  R — Q 2 also  fails  because  of 
Kt — B 5 ; 16  R — B 2,  Kt  x P. 

15  Q — Q 4 

16.  K— Kt  I Q X Kt  P 

17.  Q R— Kt  I Q X B P 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


231 


18.  Kt— K4  Q— R5 

19.  Q— B 3 Kt— B 5 1 


Diag.  147. 


Whilst  Black  was  busy  capturing  two  pawns  by  moving 
the  Queen  four  times,  White  was  concentrating  the  whole  of 
his  forces,  and  now  threatens  to  win  back  the  pawn  with 
R — Kt  4.  The  move  in  the  text  anticipates  the  threat,  for 
now  the  answer  to  20  R — Kt  4 would  be  Q — R 4 ; 21  Kt  x P ?, 
Q — B 4 ch  ; 22  Kt — K 4 ? ? Kt — Q 7 ch,  winning  the  Q. 

20.  K— R I P— K B 4 

21.  Kt — Kt  5 B — Q 3 

22.  B — B I R — Q 2 

23.  R — Kt  2 B — B 2 

intending  to  get  rid  of  the  awkward  White  Knight  by  Kt — 
Q3-K5- 

24.  K R— Kt  I Kt— Q 3 

25.  Q— K 2 Kt— K 5 

26.  Kt— B 3 Q— R 6 

27.  P-R  3 

White  appears  to  be  in  “ time  ” difficulties,  or  else  he  remains 
passive,  in  order  to  give  Black  an  opportunity  for  making  the 
risky  attempt  to  hold  the  extra  pawn  by  P — B 3 and  P — K 4. 

27 P — R 3 

28.  B— K 3 K R— Q I 

29.  K — R 2 R — R I 


232 


CHESS  Sl'RATEGY 

If  Black  wants  to  play  for  a win,  he  must  play  P — B 3. 
In  view  of  the  favourable  position  of  the  White  pieces,  he 
prefers  to  risk  nothing  and  to  avoid  the  weakening  of  posi- 
tion which  follows  upon  practically  every  pawn  move. 


30.  K — R I 

31.  K — R 2 

32.  R — Kt  8 

33.  RxR  ch 

34.  R— Kt  7 

35.  R — Kt  8 ch 


KR-Qi 
R— K 1 
RxR 
R-Qi 
R— Q 2 


As  long  as  Black  plays  steadily.  White  cannot  hope  for  more 
than  a draw. 


35 R — Q I 

36.  R — Kt  7 R — B I 

37.  P— B4  Kt— B3 

In  order  to  drive  off  the  Rook ; White  now  enforces  the 
draw  by  a fine  combination. 

38.  B— Kt  5 ! Kt— R 4 

39.  R X P ! RxR 

40.  Q X P ch  R — Q 2 

Not  K — Kt  I on  account  of  41  Q — K 8 ch,  K — R 2 ; 

42  Q X R,  Q X Kt  ; 43  Q X B,  threatening  B — K 7. 

41.  Kt — K 5 ! Draw. 

For  after  BxKt  there  follows  42  Q — K 8 ch,  K — B 2; 

43  Q X B ch,  with  perpetual  check. 

Both  players  have  shown  a deep  positional  insight,  and  the 
game  shows  in  an  interesting  manner  how  a preponderance 
of  material  can  be  counterbalanced  by  the  greater  mobility 
of  the  pieces. 


Game  No.  35 

White  : Reti.  Black  : Tartakower. 

Caro-Kann  Defence. 


P-QB 

P-Q 


1.  P— K 4 

2.  P— Q 4 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


233 


3.  Kt — Q B 3 P X P 

4.  KtxP  Kt— KB3 

5-  Q— Q 3 

White  wishes  to  castle  as  soon  as  possible  on  the  Queen’s 
side,  in  order  to  operate  on  the  Queen’s  file  with  the  help  of 
the  Rook. 

5 P-K  4 

Here  Black  loses  two  moves  in  bringing  White’s  centre 
pawn  away.  The  manoeuvre  therefore  is  not  sound.  Q Kt — 
Q 2,  Kt  X Kt,  and  Kt — B 3,  or  any  other  developing  moves 
would  be  preferable. 

6.  P X P Q — R 4 ch 

7.  B— Q2  QxP 

8.  Castles  ! 


Diag.  148. 


White  prepares  a magnificent  mating  combination,  which 
can  only  be  made  possible  at  such  an  early  stage,  when  the 
opponent  has  utterly  neglected  his  development. 

8 KtxKt 

9.  Q-Q8ch!!  KxQ 

10.  B — Kt  5 double  ch  K — B 2 

11.  B — Q 8 mate 

A beautiful  mate.  If  11...K — K i,  ii  R — Q 8 mate. 


234 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


Game  No.  36 

White  : Forgacz.  Black  : E.  Cohn. 

Queen’s  Gambit. 

P-Q4 
P— K 3 
PxP 

Kt— K B 3 
B— K 2 
P— K R3 


I-  P— Q 4 

2.  Kt— K B 3 

3.  P— B4 

4.  Kt— B 3 

5.  B-Kt  5 

6.  P— K 4 


Through  3. . .P  x P Black’s  development  is  one  move  behind, 
and  such  pawn  moves  should  at  any  cost  be  avoided  as  do  not 
contribute  to  the  mobilisation  of  the  pieces,  Castles,  P- — Q Kt  3, 
B — Kt  2,  and  Q Kt — Q 2 was  the  proper  course. 

7.  BxKt 

This  is  better  than  to  withdraw  the  Bishop  ; Black’s  last 
move  was  clearly  loss  of  time. 

7.  .........  BxB 

k B X P Kt — Q 2 

g.  Castles  Castles 


There  seems  to  be  nothing  alarming  about  the  position,  yet  on 
closer  investigation  a number  of  vital  failings  can  be  discerned 
in  Black’s  camp.  The  absence  of  a pawn  in  the  centre  and 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


235 


the  unsatisfactory  development  have  a far-reaching  influence. 
White  will  be  able  to  bring  his  forces  to  the  King’s  side  by  way 
of  K 4,  which  is  made  accessible  by  the  disappearance  of 
Black’s  Q P,  before  Black  has  time  to  bring  his  Q B to  bear 
on  White’s  K 4 by  P — Q Kt  3 and  B — Kt  2.  WTiite’s  im- 
mediate threat  (after  P — K 5)  is  Q — K 2 — K 4 and  B — Q 3. 
If  Black  does  not  wish  to  risk  P — K Kt  3,  he  must  defend  him- 
self with  R — K 1,  Kt — B i.  In  the  meantime  White  can  play 
R — Q I and  threaten  P — Q 5,  opening  the  Queen’s  file.  This 
again  necessitates  P — B 3,  which  postpones  the  efficiency  of 
the  Q B at  Kt  2 until  White’s  Q Kt  and  Q R have  been  brought 
up  for  the  attack.  The  game  develops  on  these  lines,  and  pro- 
vides an  excellent  example  of  the  advantage  of  the  command 
of  the  centre. 


10.  P — K 5 

11.  Q — K 2 

12.  Q R— Q I 
13-  Q-K  4 

preparing  P — Q Kt  3. 

14.  K R— K I 

15.  Q— Kt  4 

16.  Q— R 5 

17.  R— K 4 


B— K 2 
R— K I 

P-QB3 

Q-B2 


Kt— B I 
P-Q  Kt  3 
B— Kt  2 
B-Kt5 


Black  cannot  yet  play  P — Q B 4,  as  R — B 4 is  threatened 
with  an  attack  on  K B 7.  The  Bishop  which  obstructs  the 
Q would  have  no  move,  save  the  sorry  retreat  to  Q i,  and 
White  would  win  speedily : 17. . .P — Q B 4 ; 18  R — B 4,  B — Q i ; 
19  P — Q 5,  PxP;  20  KtxP,  BxKt;  21  BxB,  attacking 
R and  P. 

18.  R— Kt  4 B X Kt 

19.  P xB  K — R I 


Q X P was  threatened. 

20.  Kt — Kt  5 R — K 2 

21.  Kt — K 4 


Even  the  Knight  is  brought  in  via  K4. 


21 R — Q I 

22.  R— Q 3 P— Q B 4 

23.  Kt— B6 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


236 

threatening  QxP  ch  and  R — Kt  8 mate.  Black  cannot 
capture  the  Kt  because  of  Q X P ch  and  mate  at  Kt  7.  But 
the  mate  cannot  be  delayed  much  longer  in  view  of  the  con- 
centration of  superior  forces  for  the  attack. 

23 Kt — Kt  3 

24.  R — R 3 Resigns. 

There  is  no  answer  to  Q — Kt  5 and  R x P. 


Game  No.  37 


White  : Marshall.  Black  : Capablanca. 

Queen’s  Gambit  Declined  (see  p.  52). 


1.  P-Q  4 

2.  P— Q B 4 

3.  Kt-Q  B 3 

4.  B — Kt  5 
5-  P-K  3 


P-Q  4 
P— K 3 
Kt— K B 3 
B— K 2 
Kt— K 5 


Diag.  150. 


Lasker  has  played  this  move  successfully  in  his  match 
against  Marshall ; but  it  has  not  come  into  general  use.  White 
should  get  the  better  game  by  6 B x B,  Q x B ; 7 Q — B 2, 
Kt  X Kt ; 8 Q X Kt  or  7 P X P,  Kt  X Kt ; 8 P x Kt,  P x P ; 
9 Q — Kt  3,  in  the  first  case  because  the  Black  Q B is  out  of 
play,  in  the  second  case  because  of  the  open  Kt  file.  7 Kt  x Kt 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


237 

is  bad,  because  P X Kt  prevents  the  natural  development  of  the 
K Kt  at  B a,  and  Black  can  obtain  an  attack  after  castline 
by  P-K  B 4-5. 

6.  BxB  QxB 

7-  B— Q 3 

This  also  is  a good  move,  as  it  furthers  development. 

7 Kt  X Kt 

PxP 


PxKt 


Giving  up  the  centre  pawn  in  this  case  is  not  against  the 
spirit  of  the  opening,  as  it  opens  the  only  diagonal  on  which 
the  Black  Q B can  operate. 


9.  BxP 

10.  Q — B 3 

11.  Kt— K 2 

12.  Castles  K R 

13.  P— Q R 4 


P-Q  Kt  3 

P-QB3 

B— Kt  2 
Castles 


This  move  can  only  be  good  if  White  intends  to  operate 
on  the  Queen’s  side,  possibly  by  K R — Kt  i and  P — R 5. 
But  the  position  of  the  White  Queen  makes  the  adoption 
of  a different  plan  compulsory.  For  one  thing,  it  is  rational 
to  concentrate  forces  where  the  Queen  can  take  her  share, 
therefore,  in  this  case,  on  the  King’s  side.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  manoeuvre  referred  to  could  not  be  put  into  execution 
here  because  Black  can  prevent  P — R 5 by  P — Q B 4 and 
Kt — B 3.  A fairly  obvious  course  was  to  play  P — K 4,  taking 
possession  of  the  centre.  P — Q B 4 would  then  be  answered  by 
P — Q 5,  after  which  the  White  Rooks  would  be  very  effective 
at  Q I and  K i.  In  this  game  White  does  initiate  a King’s 
side  attack  subsequently,  and  thus  13... P — Q R 4 is  clearly  a 
lost  move. 

13 P — Q B 4 

14.  Q — Kt  3 Kt — B 3 

15.  Kt— B 4 Q R— B I 

The  tempting  move  of  P — K 4 cannot  be  played  because 
of  16  Kt— Q 5,  Q— Q I ; 17  P xB  P,  Kt— R 4 ; 18  K R— Q i. 
The  move  in  the  text  threatens  PxP,  Kt  x P and  R x B. 


16.  B — R 2 

17.  K R— K I 


K R— Q I 
Kt— R 4 


238  CHESS  STRATEGY 

This  threatens  B— B 3 attacking  the  R P.  White  decides 
to  yield  the  same  at  once,  thinking  quite  rightly  that  a direct 
attack  must  have  good  chances,  as  Black  gets  two  pieces  out 
of  play  in  capturing  the  pawn. 

18.  Q R_Q  I B-B  3 

19.  Q— Kt  4 

Black  cannot  take  the  pawn  yet,  because  of  KtxP  and 
B X P ch. 

19 P— B 5 

20.  P— Q 5 ? 


Diag.  1 5 1. 


There  is  no  need  to  play  for  violent  complications.  The 
logical  course  was  to  open  the  way  to  the  King’s  side  for 
the  Rooks  by  P — K 4.  The  continuation  could  have  been  : 
20  P — K 4,  B X R P ; 21  Kt — R 5,  P — Kt  3 ; 22  P — K 5, 
B X R ; 23  R X B followed  by  Kt — B 6,  with  a strong  attack ; 
also  after  21... P — B 3,  22  R — Q 2,  White’s  attacking  chances 
are  good.  After  the  move  in  the  text.  Black  could  get  an 
advantage  by  simply  exchanging:  20...PxP;  21  KtxP, 
BxKt;  22RxB,  RxR;  23QxRch,  R — Qi;  24  Q — KB  5, 
P — Kt  3 ; 25  Q — B 2,  Q — R 6.  In  taking  the  R P,  however. 
Black  incurs  grave  risks. 

20 BxRP 

21.  R — Q 2 P — K 4 

22.  Kt — R 5 P — Kt  3 

23-  P— Q 6 Q— K 3 

24.  Q — Kt  5 K — R I 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


239 

Black  finds  the  weaknesses  at  his  K B 3 and  K R 3 very 
croublesome.  R X P would  lose  at  once,  because  of  25  R x R, 
QxR;  26Q— R6  ! 

25.  Kt — B 6 R xP 

26.  R X R QxR 

27.  B — Kt  I 

Q — R 4 would  have  been  answered  by  K — Kt  2. 

27 Kt — B 3 

Black  must  try  to  bring  back  his  minor  pieces  for  the 
defence.  If  he  succeeds  in  doing  that  in  time,  the  end-game 
is  easily  won  on  the  Queen’s  side. 

28.  B — B 5 R — Q I 

Not  P xB  because  of  Q — R 6. 

29.  P — K R 4 

White’s  attacking  resources  seem  inexhaustible.  By  ex- 
changing Queens  he  could  have  got  his  pawn  back  in  this  way  ; 
29  B — Q 7,  Q — B I (R  X B ?,  30  Q — R 6)  ; 30  B x Kt,  B x B ; 
31  Q xQ  P,  Q— Q 3 ; 32  Kt— Q 7.  Q xQ  ; 33  Kt  xQ,  B— K i ; 
34  Kt  X Q B P.  But  even  then  Black  would  maintain  a 
superiority  in  the  end-game  owing  to  the  freedom  of  his  passed 
pawn,  and  because  he  can  post  his  Rook  at  the  seventh  after 
P — Q Kt  4.  This  explains  why  Marshall  prefers  not  to  win 
back  his  pawn,  but  to  enter  upon  a violent  attack  with  a 
doubtful  issue.  However,  Capablanca  finds  the  right  move  in 
all  the  ensuing  complications,  and  finally  wins  the  game. 


240 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


29 Kt — K 2 

30.  Kt — K 4 Q — B 2 

31.  Q— B 6 ch  K— Kt  I 

32.  B— K 6 

This  is  now  compulsory.  If  White  loses  time  in  withdraw- 
ing  the  B,  Black  consolidates  his  position  by  ; Kt — Q 4 and 
Q-K  2. 

32  PxB 

R — B I is  refuted  by  33  Kt — Kt  5 !,  P xB  ; 34  Q xR,  etc. 

33.  Q X K P ch 

Better  than  Kt — Kt  5,  for  after  Kt — Q 4,  34  QxP  ch, 
the  Black  King  finds  a safe  retreat  at  Kt  2. 

33  K — B I 

34.  Kt — Kt  5 Kt — Kt  I 

35.  P— B 4 

in  order  to  open  the  file  for  the  Rook. 

35 R— K I 

36.  P X P R — K 2 

37.  R — B I ch  K — Kt  2 

38.  P— R 5 B— K I 

39.  P — R 6 ch  K — R I 

Kt  xP  fails  on  account  of  Q — B 6 ch. 

40.  Q— Q 6 

White  takes  all  possible  advantage  from  the  position,  but 
cannot  bring  home  his  attack,  as  Black  has  concentrated  his 
forces  for  the  defence.  Black  must  still  be  careful  to  avoid  a 
mate,  e.g.  Q X Q ? ; 4iPxQ,RxP;  42R — B7or4i...R — Q2; 
42  R— B 8. 

40 Q— B 4 

41-  Q— Q 4 

Here  White  could  have  tried  Q X Q and  R — B 8.  There  was 
then  a permanent  threat  of  R x B,  e.g.  41  Q X Q,  P x Q ; 
42  R — B 8,  R X P ; 43  Kt — B 3,  R — K 2 ; 44  Kt — Kt  5,  etc. 

It  seems  as  if  Black  would  have  to  give  up  the  piece  again  by 

43. . .R — R 4 in  order  to  win.  White,  however,  would  then  have 
drawing  chances,  which  would  have  been  a fitting  conclusion 
to  this  wonderful  game. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


241 


41. 


42.  Q— Q 7 


RxP 
R— K 2 


Resigns. 


Game  No.  38 


White  : Rotlewi. 


Black  : Teichmann. 


Queen’s  Gambit  Declined. 


3.  P-B  4 

4.  Kt— B 3 

5.  B-Kt  5 


2.  Kt— K B 3 


I.  P-Q  4 


P-Q4 

Kt— K B 3 
P-K  3 


Capablanca  tried  5 ...B — Kt  5 ; against  Ed.  Lasker  in  New 
York,  1915.  The  continuation  was  : 6 P — K 3,  P — B 4; 
7 B— Q 3,  Q— R 4 ; 8 Q— Kt  3. 

The  correct  move  is  here  8 Castles.  If  Black  wins  the 
pawn  by  B X Kt ; 9 P x B,  Q P x P ; 10  B x P,  Q x B P, 
White  obtains  a strong  attack,  e.g.,  ii  R — B i,  Q — R 4 ; 
12  B X Kt,  P X B (Kt  X B ; 13  P X P)  ; 13  P — Q 5,  with 

this  possible  continuation  13 Kt — Kt  3,  14  P x P,  P X P ; 

15  Q — Q 6,  with  a strong  attack. 


Castles 
P— B 4 


6.  P— K 3 

7.  Q— B 2 


White  intends  to  castle  on  the  Queen’s  side,  and  to  follow 
this  up  with  a storm  by  the  King’s  side  pawns.  Although 
Rubinstein  has  on  many  occasions  been  successful  with  this 
form  of  attack,  it  is  open  to  criticism.  For,  where  Kings  have 
castled  on  different  wings,  the  attack  on  the  King  which  has 
castled  on  the  Q side  should  be  more  successful. 


Diag.  153. 


Q 


242 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


This  is  much  stronger  than  P — Q Kt  3 and  B — Kt  2,  as 
then  the  Black  Queen  cannot  participate  in  the  attack  quickly 
enough.  As  pointed  out  before,  speed  is  the  first  consideration 
for  the  attack,  whenever  the  Kings  have  castled  on  different 
wings.  An  interesting  counterpart  to  the  present  game  is 
found  in  a game  won  by  Rubinstein  from  Teichmann  (Match, 
Vienna,  1908)  7. . .P — Q Kt  3 ; 8 P x P,  P x P ; 9 B — Q 3, 
B — Kt  2 ; 10  Castles  Q R,  P — B 4 ; ii  P — K R 4,  P — B 5 ? 
(the  only  hope  lay  in  the  opening  of  the  Q B file)  ; 12  B — B 5, 
R — K i;  13  BxK  Kt,  KtxB;  14  P — K Kt  4,  B — Q 3; 
15  P— Kt  5,  Kt— K 5 ; 16  P— R 5,  Q— K 2 ; 17  Q R— Kt  i, 
P — Q R 3 ; 18  B xP  ch  !,  K xB  ; 19  P — Kt  6 ch,  K — Kt  i ; 
20  Kt  X Kt,  P X Kt ; 21  P — R 6,  P — B 3 ; 22  P x P,  P X Kt ; 
23  R — R 8 ch,  K X P ; 24  R — R 7 ch,  and  Black  resigned  a 
few  moves  later. 

8.  Castles  Q — R 4 

9.  PxQP 

White  loses  time  in  the  centre.  It  was  imperative  to  pro- 
ceed at  once  with  P — K Kt  4 followed  by  B x Kt,  P — Kt  5 and 
P— K R 4. 

9 KPxP 

10.  P xP  Kt  xP 

11.  Kt — Q 4 B — K 3 

12.  K— Kt  I 

It  would  be  too  risky  to  leave  both  King  and  Queen  on 
the  Q B file. 

12 Q R — B I 

13.  B— Q 3 P— K R 3 

The  threat  was  : B x Kt  and  B x P ch.  Had  White  played 
P — K Kt  4 and  P — K R 4 instead  of  effecting  exchanges  in  the 
centre.  Black  would  not  have  been  able  to  afford  this  weaken- 
ing move.  But  now  Black  wins  the  game  on  the  other  wing, 
before  White  is  able  to  make  use  of  the  weakness  thus  created. 

14.  B X Kt 

15.  B — B 5 

16.  BxB 

17.  Q— Kt  6 


BxB 

KR-Qi 

PxB 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


243 

The  Queen  must  leave  the  Q B file  without  delay,  as  Kt — K 5 
is  threatened.  Black’s  game  is  already  superior  ; with  the 
exception  of  the  Queen,  White  has  no  piece  available  for  the 
attack  on  the  opposing  King. 

17 R — Q 3 

18.  R— Q B I R— R 3 

Now  White  must  again  provide  against  Black’s  Kt — K 5, 
as  White’s  Q Kt  is  needed  for  the  defence  of  Q R 2. 

19.  P— B3  R— Qi 

Black  intends  to  move  his  B and  then  to  advance  his  K P 

with  an  attack  on  the  Queen.  The  object  of  the  text  move  is 
to  prevent  White  from  saving  himself  by  an  attack  on  the 
Rook  (Q— B 5). 

20.  R — B 2 B X Kt 


By  this  exchange  Black  achieves  his  object  of  driving  off 
the  Knight  by  P — Q 5,  but  White  has  time  to  give  his  R P 
further  protection  by  P — Q Kt  3.  This,  Black  would  have  pre- 
vented by  playing  B — Kt  4 instead  of  the  text  move,  e.g. 
21  P — B 4,  P — K 4 ; 22  Q — B 5,  P X Kt ; 23  P x P,  B — B 3 ; 
24  PxKt,  P — Q 5,  etc. 

21.  PxB 

22.  Q — Kt  4 

23.  QxP 

24.  Q— K 5 

This  delays  the  fatal  advance  of  the  Q P for  one  move. 


P— K 4 
PxP 
Kt-K  3 


24 

25.  P— Q Kt  3 

26.  Kt— K 4 

27.  R — Q 2 

28.  R— Q B I 

29.  Q — Kt  2 

30.  K — R I 


P-Q  Kt  4 

P-Q5 

P-Q  6 
Kt-Q5 
Kt— B 7 
Kt— R 6 ch 
Kt — B 7 ch 


244 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


31.  K — Kt  I Kt — R 6 ch 

32.  K — R I Kt — B 7 ch 

33.  K-Kt  I 


Diag.  154. 


Black  does  not  play  for  a draw,  but  only  wishes  to  gain 
time. 

33 R— Q B 3 

The  intention  is  to  double  Rooks  and  to  force  an  entry  at 
B 7.  P — Kt  5 would  not  be  good.  The  White  Rook  would 
no  longer  be  attacked,  and  the  Knight  could  attack  the  Q P. 

34.  R (B  i) — Q I K R — Q B i 

Now  that  the  White  Rook  has  left  the  Q B file,  one  Rook 
would  be  sufficient  to  force  an  entry  at  B 7,  and  Kt — R 6 ch 
followed  by  P — Kt  5 could  have  been  played  at  once,  e.g.  34. . . 
Kt — R 6 ch  ; 35  K — R i,  P — Kt  5 (preventing  P — Q Kt  4) ; 
36  Kt— B 2,  R— B 7 ; 37RxR,PxR;  38  R— Q B i,  Q— Kt  3 ; 
39  Kt — K 4,  R — Q 8 followed  by  RxR  ch,  Q — Q 5 ch  and 
P — B 8 mate. 


35-  RxP 

36.  K— R I 

37.  R— Q 7 

If  Q xQ,  Black  mates  in  three. 

38.  R — Q 8 ch 

39.  RxR  ch 

40.  R— Q I 


Kt— R 6 ch 
P— Kt  5 
Q-K  4 ! ! 


RxR 
K— R2 
QxQch 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


245 

Curiously  enough  there  is  nothing  better,  Q — B 2 only 
leads  to  the  exchange  of  Queens  and  the  same  end-game, 
which,  however,  is  an  easy  win  for  Black,  as  the  permanent 
mating  threat  keeps  the  White  Rook  tied  to  the  first  rank, 
whilst  the  Black  King  threatens  to  capture  all  the  White  pawns. 

If  Q — B 2 White  forces  the  exchange  of  Queens  with  the 
following  combination  ; 41  Q — Q 2,  R — B 7 ; 42  Q — Q 3, 
R — B 8 ch  ; 43  K — Kt  2,  with  a threat  of  Kt — B 6 ch  and 
Q — R 7 mate.  Black  therefore  would  have  to  play  Q — B 7 ch, 
etc.,  as  in  the  game. 


41.  KxQ 

42.  K — R I 

43.  R — R I 

44.  Kt — B 6 ch 

45.  Kt— K 4 

46.  Kt— Q 6 


R — B 7 ch 
RxP 
P— Kt  4 
K— Kt  2 
K— Kt  3 
P-QR4 


We  have  now  a position  with  a forced  move.  If  the  White 
Knight  moves,  there  follows  K — B 4 — B 5,  etc.  Therefore 
WLite  gives  up  his  R P voluntarily. 

47.  R — Q B I RxP 

48.  Kt— B 4 Kt— Kt  4 

Now  Kt — B 6 and  RxP  mate  are  threatened. 


49.  Kt — K 5 ch 

K— Kt  2 

50.  Kt — Kt  4 

R— K 7 

51.  R— B 5 

R— K 8 ch 

52.  K— Kt  2 

Kt— R6 

53.  R— B 7 ch 

K— B I 

54.  R— B I 

R— K 7 ch 

55-  K-R  I 

Kt— B 7 ch 

56.  K— Kt  I 

Kt— R 6 ch 

Black  again  appears  to  be  short  of  time. 

57-  K-R  I 

Kt— Kt  4 

58.  R-B  5 

R— K 8 ch 

59.  K— Kt  2 

Kt— R 6 

60.  R — B I 

R— K 7 ch 

Now,  after  the  sixtieth  move  Black  has  again  plenty  of 
time,  and  can  prepare  the  final  combination  at  leisure. 


246 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


61. 

K— R I 

R-K3 

62. 

R— R I 

K— Kt  2 

63- 

R-QBi 

K-Kt3 

64. 

R— B 6 

RxR 

65. 

Kt— K 5 ch 

K— B 4 

66. 

KtxR 

P— R4 

67. 

Kt— Q 4 ch 

K— K 4 

68. 

Kt— K 2 

Kt — B 7 ch 

69. 

K— Kt  2 
Resigns. 

Kt-Q  5 

Game  No.  39. 

White  : Rotlewi.  Black  : Rubinstein 

Queen’s  Gambit  Declined. 


1.  P— Q 4 

2.  Kt— K B 3 
3-  P-K  3 

4.  P— B 4 

5.  Kt— B 3 

6.  Q PxP 

7.  P— Q R 3 

8.  P— Q Kt  4 

9.  B— Kt  2 


P— K 3 
P— Q B 4 
Kt-Q  B 3 
Kt— B 3 
BxP 
P-QR3 
B-Q3 

Castles 


Diag.  155. 


10.  Q— Q 2 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


247 

White  cannot  win  the  Q P by  10  P xP,  P xP  ; ii  Kt  xP, 
Kt  X Kt  ; 12  Q X Kt,  because  B x P ch  wins  the  Queen. 

The  text  move  is  played  with  the  intention  of  bringing  up  the 
Q R for  the  attack  on  the  Q P.  However,  it  would  have  been 
more  correct  to  fix  the  object  of  attack  first  by  P xP,  as  Black 
could  now  cross  White’s,  intentions  by  playing  P x P,  after 
which  he  would  sooner  or  later  gain  a move  by  occupying  the 
Q file  with  a Rook,  and  forcing  the  White  Queen  to  retreat. 

10 Q — K 2 ! 

Black  offers  to  give  up  his  Queen’s  Pawn.  If  White  accepts 
the  sacrifice,  Black’s  attack  on  the  Queen’s  file  will  become 
deadly,  as  White  must  lose  a move  in  bringing  his  Queen  out 
of  the  line  of  action  of  the  hostile  Rook.  The  White  King  has 
then  no  time  to  get  into  safety,  e.g.  ii  P x P,  P X P ; 12  Kt  x P, 
Kt  X Kt ; 13  Q X Kt,  R — Q i ; 14  Q — Kt  3,  B — K 3 followed 
by  Kt  X P,  etc. 

II.  B— Q 3 ? 

Here  again  PxP  (followed  by  B — K 2,  R — Q i,  Castles) 
would  have  avoided  the  loss  of  a move,  as  indicated  in  my 
note  to  move  10.  Now  White  loses  yet  another  move,  as 
Black  exchanges  pawns  and  the  Bishop  has  taken  two  moves 
to  reach  B 4,  as  against  one  only  in  the  case  of  the  Black  K B. 
The  loss  of  two  moves  in  the  opening  stages  should  be  fatal, 
and  of  this  Rubinstein  gives  a striking  example  in  the  present 
game. 


II. 

PxP 

12. 

Bx 

:P 

P-Q  Kt  4 

13- 

B- 

-Q3 

R-Qi 

14. 

Q- 

-K  2 

B— Kt  2 

15- 

Castles  K R 

Kt— K 4 

The  advantage  which  Black  obtains  by  his  last  move  is 
generally  gained  by  White  in  this  opening  (compare  Diag.  36). 
But  in  the  game  White  has  lost  two  moves  and  Black  has 
assumed  the  offensive,  having  moreover  a Rook  acting  on  the 
Qfile. 


16.  Kt  X Kt 

17.  P — B 4 


BxKt 


248 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


Black’s  threat  was  : B x P ch  followed  by  Q — Q 3 ch  and 
0 xB.  If  White  replies  : 17  K R — Q i the  answer  is  Q — B 2 
attacking  both  the  R P and  the  Kt.  The  text  move  is 
unsatisfactory,  as  it  will  be  necessary  to  advance  the  K P to 
K 4 or  K 5,  where  it  will  block  the  diagonal  of  one  of  the 
Bishops. 


17 

18.  P— K 4 

19.  P— K 5 

20.  K — R I 


B— B 2 
Q R — B I 
B— Kt  3 ch 
Kt— Kt  5 ! ! 


Diag.  156. 


The  beginning  of  magnificent  sacrifices.  21  QxKt  cannot  be 
played  because  of  R x B and  R — Q 7,  etc. 

21.  B— K 4 Q— R 5 

22.  P — Kt  3 

After  P — R 3 Black  wins  also  in  fine  style  : R x Kt ! ! ; 
23  Q X Kt,  Q X Q ; 24  P x Q,  B x B ; 25  B x R,  R — Q 6 threat- 
ening R — R 6 mate  ; or,  23  B x R,  B x B ; 24  Q x B,  Q — Kt  6 ; 
25  P X Kt,  Q — R 5 mate. 

22  RxKt  ! ! 

23.  P X Q R— Q 7 ! I 

24.  Q X R B X B ch 

25.  Q — Kt  2 R — R 6 

and  mate  at  R 7. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


249 


Game  No.  40 


White  : Rubinstein. 


Black  : Capablanca. 


Queen’s  Gambit  Declined. 


I.  P-Q  4 


P—0  4 

P-QB4 
P— K3 
K PxP 


2.  Kt— K B 3 


3.  P— B4 

4.  PxQ  P 
5-  Kt-B  3 


6.  P— K Kt  3 


B— K 3 
B— K 2 
R— B I 


7.  B — Kt  2 


8.  Castles 


This  move  is  not  satisfactory  at  this  juncture.  It  rather 
helps  a combination  which  is  frequently  resorted  to  in  similar 
positions,  namely,  the  exchange  of  the  Black  Q B and  subse- 
quent pressure  on  the  K P by  the  White  K B on  the  diagonal 
K R 3 — Q B 8.  8...Kt — B 3 should  have  been  played,  after 


Diag.  157. 


which  White  could  hardly  be  said  to  possess  any  advantage,  e.g. 
9 B— Kt  5,  Kt— K 5,  or  9 B— K 3,  Kt— K Kt  5,  or  9 P— Q R 3, 
or  9 PxP,  BxP;  10  B — Kt  5,  B — K 2.  After  9 PxP,  how- 
ever, it  would  be  weak  to  recapture  with  the  Queen.  In  a 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


250 

game  E.  Cohn — Ed.  Lasker  (match  1909)  there  followed : 9... 
Q — R 4;  10  Kt — K Kt  5,  QxP;  ii  B — K 3,  Q — R 4;  12 
Q — Kt  3,  after  which  Black  had  to  give  up  a pawn  already  : 
Castles  Q R ; 13  Kt  xB,  P xKt  ; 14  B — R 3,  etc. 

9.  PxP  BxP 

10.  Kt— K Kt  5 Kt— B 3 

11.  Kt  xB  PxKt 

12.  B — R 3 Q — K 2 

13.  B-Kt  5 

P — K 4 is  stronger  here,  in  order  to  play  B — Kt  5 after 
PxP.  13... P — Q 5 would  then  be  refuted  by  Kt — Q 5. 

13 Castles 

14.  BxKt  QxB 

After  this  White  gains  a pawn  by  a complicated  and  well- 
timed  combination.  Capablanca  did  not  consider  the  subtle 
reply  on  Rubinstein’s  seventeenth  move.  Otherwise  he  would 
have  recaptured  with  the  pawn.  However,  in  that  case  too. 
White’s  chances  are  good  in  the  end-game  which  ensues  after  ; 
15  Kt  X P,  P X Kt ; 16  Q X P ch,  K — R i ; 17  B x R.  The 
Rooks  would  soon  become  effective  in  view  of  the  open  K side. 

15.  KtxP  Q— P3 

B X P ch  fails  because  of  16  K — Kt  2,  Q — B 2 ; 17  Kt — B 4 1 

16.  K— Kt  2 Q R— Q I 

17.  Q— B I 


Diag.  158. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 
PxKt 


251 


17- 


If  R X Kt,  White  exchanges  Queens  and  plays  B xP  ch. 

18.  QxB  Q— Q7 

19.  Q— Kt  5 Kt— Q 5 

20.  Q— Q 3 


With  an  extra  pawn  White  forces  the  exchange  of  Queens. 
Black  cannot  prevent  it,  as  20, . .Q  x Kt  P loses  the  Knight  on 
account  of  21  K R — Kt  i,  and  20... Q — Kt  5 loses  the  Q P by 
21  K R — Q I and  B — K 6 ch. 


20 QxQ 

21.  P xQ  K R — K I 

22.  B — Kt  4 


K R — K I would  not  prevent  the  entry  of  the  Black  Rook  : 
Kt — B 7;  23  RxR  ch,  RxR;  24  R — Q B i,  R — K 7; 
25  B — Kt  4,  R — Q 7.  Black  would  win  the  pawn  back  and 
might  even  succeed  in  the  end-game  with  a Knight  against  a 
Bishop. 

22 R — Q 3 

23.  KR— Ki  RxR 

24.  RxR  R— Q Kt  3 


Black  should  first  play  his  King  to  K B 3,  and  keep  the 
Rook  away  from  his  K 5.  Not  that  the  Q P is  of  paramount 
importance  ; the  Q Kt  P fully  makes  up  for  its  loss.  But 
as  played  the  Knight  is  driven  from  his  dominating  position, 
and  the  badly  placed  Bishop  gets  into  play.  No  doubt  even 
after  the  text  move  the  ending  is  most  difficult,  and  it  requires 
Rubinstein’s  full  powers  to  bring  it  to  a successful  issue. 


25.  R— K 5 

26.  RxP 

27.  B — K 6 ch 

28.  R — B 5 ch 

29.  B — B 7 ch 

30.  B— B 4 


RxP 
Kt— B 3 
K— B I 
K— K I 
K— Q 2 
P-QR3 


Black’s  only  chance  is  his  extra  pawn  on  the  Q side.  To 
exchange  the  Kt  for  the  B by  30... K — Q 3 ; 31  R — B 7,  Kt — 
K 4 ; 32  RxK  Kt  P,  Kt  xB  would  take  too  much  time  where 
time  is  all-important.  White  would  clear  the  K side  in  the 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


252 

meantime,  push  on  his  K R P,  and  ultimately  give  up  his  R 
for  Black’s  remaining  P,  as  soon  as  the  latter  runs  into  Queen, 
after  which  the  three  passed  pawns  win  easily  against  the 
Rook.  Generally  speaking  it  is  wise,  in  R endings  like  the 
present  one,  to  advance  pawns  on  the  side  where  there  is  an 
extra  pawn,  in  order  to  get  a passed  pawn  as  soon  as  possible. 
Then  the  hostile  Rook  has  to  look  after  that  pawn  lest  it  should 
queen,  and  the  greater  mobility  of  one’s  own  Rook  often  saves 
the  game  even  when  opposed  by  a preponderance  of  pawns. 


31.  R — B 7 ch 

K-Q3 

32.  RxK  Kt  P 

P— Kt  4 

33.  B— Kt  8 

P-QR4 

34.  RxP 

P— R5 

35-  P— R 4 

P-Kts 

36.  R — R 6 ch 

K— B4 

37.  R— R 5 ch 

K-Kt3 

38.  B— Q 5 

P— Kt  6 

RxP  is  tempting  but  unavailing,  as  White  plays  B — B 4 
followed  by  R — Kt  5 ch  and  P — R 5-6,  etc.  After  the  text 
move  White  has  a problem-like  continuation,  which  he  has 
worked  out  with  great  accuracy. 

39.  P X P P — R 6 

40.  BxKt 

If  now  P — R 7,  White  simply  plays  41  R — Kt  5 ch,  K — R3  ; 
42  R— Kt  8— R 8. 

40 R X Kt  P 

41.  B— Q 5 P— R 7 

42.  R — R 6 ch  Resigns. 

As  the  R holds  the  R P,  e.g.  K — R 4 ; 43  B — B 4 followed 
by  R — R 6 ch  or  42. . .K — R 2 ; 43  R — R 8,  etc. 


Game  No.  41 

White  : Niemzowitsch.  Black  : Tarrasch. 

Queen’s  Gambit  Declined. 

1.  P — Q 4 P — Q 4 

2.  Kt— K B 3 P— Q B 4 


IIXUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


253 


3.  P-B  4 

4.  P-K  3 
5-  B— Q 3 

6.  Castles 

7.  P-Q  Kt  3 

8.  B— Kt  2 

9-  Q Kt— Q 2 

10.  R — B I 

11.  PxQ  P 


P— K 3 
Kt— K B 3 
Kt-B3 

B-Q3 

Castles 
P-Q  Kt  3 
B— Kt  2 
Q-K2 


The  most  natural  move  to  which  the  development  of  the 
Q Kt  at  Q 2 instead  of  B 3 would  seem  to  lead  is  Kt — K 5 
followed  by  P — B 4.  After  ii  Kt — K 5 Black  could  not  yet 
attempt  ii...PxQ  P;  12  K PxP,  B — R 6,  weakening  the 
Q P,  because  of  13  B x B,  Q x B ; 14  P x P,  Kt  x Kt ; 15 
PxKt,  Kt  xP  : 16  Kt— B 4 and  Kt— Q 6. 

11  KPxP 

12.  Kt — R 4 

In  order  to  provoke  Black’s  weakening  move  : P — Kt  3, 
which  might  give  White  chances  of  attack  on  the  long  diagonal 
Q R I — K R 8,  White  gives  up  two  clear  moves.  Black  is 
able  to  get  considerably  ahead  in  his  development,  much  to 
White’s  disadvantage. 

12  P — Kt  3 

13.  K Kt— B 3 Q R— Q sq 


Not  Kt — K 5 yet,  on  account  of  14  P x P,  P X P ? ; 15  B x Kt, 
P X B ; 16  Kt  X P. 


14.  PxP 


White’s  position  is  uncomfortable,  and  a satisfactory  con- 
tinuation is  hard  to  find.  Possibly  passive  resistance  might 
have  been  the  best  plan,  thus  : Q — K 2,  K R — Q i,  Kt — B i — 
Kt  3.  The  text  move  is  a preliminary  to  operations  on  the 
Queen’s  side,  but  allows  Black  too  much  scope  in  the  centre. 

14 PxP 

15.  B— Kt  5 

White  wishes  to  get  rid  of  the  Black  Knight  which  sup- 
ports the  advance  of  P — Q 5. 


£54 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


15 Kt— K 5 

16.  BxKt  BxB 

17.  Q— B 2 

V^Tiite  has  no  idea  of  the  threatened  disaster,  or  he  would 
have  played  P — K Kt  3.  Even  then,  however.  Black  has  the 
better  game  with  two  Bishops,  and  the  Q and  Kt  better  placed. 

17 Kt  X Kt 

The  beginning  of  a brilliant  mating  combination. 

18.  KtxKt  P— Q5! 

Black  would  have  played  the  same  move  if  White  had 
retaken  with  the  Queen. 

19.  PxP 

P-K4  was  comparatively  the  best  move,  although  Black’s 
attack  would  have  become  overwhelming  after  P — B 4,  e.g. 
20  P— B 3,  B— B 5,  etc. 


19 B xP  ch  ! ! 

20.  K X B Q — R 5 ch 

21.  K— Kti  BxP! 

Emanuel  Lasker  won  a celebrated  game  from  Bauer  (Am- 
sterdam, 1889)  with  a similar  sacrifice  of  two  Bishops,  and 
very  likely  this  is  the  reason  why  Tarrasch’s  beautiful 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


255 

game  only  earned  him  the  second  brilliancy  prize  at  Petro- 
grad  (1914). 

22.  P — B 3 

If  K X B,  then  Q — Kt  5 ch  ; 23  K — R i,  R — Q 4 ; 24  Q x P, 
R — R 4 ch  ; 25  Q X R,  Q X Q ch  ; 26  K — Kt  2,  Q — Kt  4 ch 
and  Q x Kt. 

22 K R — K 1 


Not  Q — Kt  6,  because  of  Kt — K 4. 


23.  Kt— K 4 

24.  K — B 2 
25-  P— Q 5 

26.  Q — B 3 

27.  K— K 3 

28.  PxR 


Q— R 8 ch 
BxR 
P— B 4 
Q — Kt  7 ch 
R X Kt  ch  ! 
P — B 5 ch 


With  Q — Kt  6 ch  Black  mates  two  moves  earlier. 

29.  K X P R — B I ch 

30.  K — K 5 Q — R 7 ch 

31.  K— K 6 R— K I ch 

Resigns. 

If  K — Q 7,  B — Kt  4 mate,  if  K — B 6,  Q — R 5 mate.^ 


Game  No.  42 


White  : Capablanca.  Black  : Aljechin. 

Queen’s  Gambit  Declined  (see  pp.  57  and  58). 


1.  P-Q  4 

2.  P — Q B 4 

o p o 

4.  Kt— K B 3 

5.  Q Kt-Q  2 


P-Q  4 
P-QB3 

Kt— B 3 
P— K 3 
Q Kt-Q  2 


* Emanuel  Lasker-Bauer : i P — K B 4,  P — Q 4 ; 2 P — K 3,  Kt — K B 3 ; 3 
P— Q Kt  3,  P— K 3 ; 4 B— Kt  2,  B— K 2 ; 5 B— Q 3,  P— Q Kt  3 ; 6 Kt— Q B 3, 
B — Kt  2 ; 7 Kt — B 3,  Q Kt — Q 2 ; 8 Castles,  Castles  ; 9 Kt — K 2,  P — B 4 ; 
10  Kt — Kt  3,  Q — B2;  II  Kt — K 5,  KtxKt;  12  BxKt,  Q — B3;  13  Q— K 2, 
P — Q R 3 ; 14  Kt — R 5,  Kt  X Kt ; 15  B x P ch  1 1,  K x B ; 16  Q x Kt  ch,  K — Kt  i ; 
17  B xP  !,  K X B ; 18  Q — Kt  4 ch,  K — R 2 ; 19  R — B 3,  P — K 4;  20  R — R 3 ch, 
Q — R 3;  21  RxQ,  KxR;  22  Q — Q 7,  and  White  won. 


256 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


6.  B-Q  3 

7.  Castles 

8.  Q — B 2 


B— K2 
Castles 


Diag.  160. 


Black’s  difficulty  is  the  development  of  his  Q B,  particu- 
larly after  White’s  last  move,  which  prevents  P — K 4.  If 
now  Q — B 2 White  plays  9 P — K 4 and  either  the  Queen  or 
the  Knight  bear  on  K 5,  e.g.  9...P xK  P ; 10  Kt  xP,  P — K 4 ; 
II  Q Kt— Kt  5,  B— Q 3 ; 12  P— B 5,  etc. 

Black  therefore  must  develop  his  Q B at  Kt  2 with  P — 
Q Kt  3,  B — Kt  2 and  P — B 4.  Having  moved  the  Q B P twice, 
Black  is  a move  behind  the  development  usual  in  this  opening. 
However,  it  would  have  been  the  lesser  evil.  In  the  present 
game  the  Bishop  does  not  get  into  play  in  time. 


8 

9.  KtxP 

10.  Q Kt— K 5 

11.  PxP 

12.  Kt— Kt  5 


PxP 
P— B4 
PxP 


Kt— Kt  3 


If  Black  captures  the  pawn.  White  gains  time  by  threaten- 
ing the  Queen,  and  brings  all  his  forces  into  play,  whilst  the  Black 
Queen’s  side  remains  undeveloped,  e.g. : 12. . .Q  x P ; 13  R — 
Q I,  Q— B 4 ; 14  Kt— Kt  4,  P— Kt  3 ; 15  B— K 3,  Q— R 4 ; 
16  R — B I,  with  a strong  attack.  Black  of  course  need  not 
take  the  pawn,  but  the  move  in  the  text  is  a valuable  one 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAIMES 


257 

nevertheless,  as  the  threat  Q — B 3 — R 3 provokes  a weaken- 
ing pawn  move. 

12 P — Kt  3 

13.  K Kt— B 3 K— Kt  2 

preventing  the  entry  of  the  B at  R 6. 

14.  B-K  Kt  5 Q Kt-Q  4 

15.  Q R — B I B — Q 2 

16.  Q— Q 2 Kt— Kt  I 

It  should  be  noted  how  the  weakness  at  K R 3 acts  to  the 
detriment  of  Black’s  game.  The  text  move  covers  the  weak 
square,  but  at  the  same  time  brings  the  Kt  out  of  play.  White 
in  consequence  gets  the  upper-hand  on  the  Queen’s  side,  and 
the  Knight  cannot  return  in  time. 

17.  BxB  QxB 

It  would  be  no  use  taking  with  the  K Kt,  as  the  threat 
Kt — Kt  4 and  Q — R 6 must  be  guarded  against.  If  the  other 
Kt  captures  there  follows  : 18  B — K 4,  R — Kt  i ; 19  R — B 3 
and  K R — B i. 


18.  B— K 4 B— Kt  4 


This  drives  the  Rook  to  a better  square,  but  already  now 
there  is  no  satisfactory  move.  It  would  perhaps  have  been 
best  to  parry  the  threat  of  B x Kt  and  R — B 7 by  playing 
Q — Q 3,  although  the  pawn  would  have  to  recapture  after 
19  B X Kt,  because  of  20  R — B 5 and  K R — B i.  The  chance 
of  bearing  on  the  Q P through  the  open  file,  which  was  pro- 
bably Black’s  intention  all  along,  would  then  be  lost.  After 
the  text  move,  however.  White  takes  possession  of  the  seventh 
rank,  and  Black’s  game  collapses  quickly. 


19. 

20. 

21. 

22. 
23- 


K R— K I 
BxKt 
Q-R5 
Q-B7 

RxQ 


Q-Q3 
PxB 
P-QR 
QxQ 
P— R3 


Kt — Kt  5 and  Kt — K 6 ch  was  threatened. 

24.  R X P Q R — B 

-Q  Kt  3 R-B  7 


25- 

26. 

27. 


P- 

P-QR4 

Kt— R 4 ! 


B— K 7 
P— K R 4 


R 


258  CHESS  STRATEGY 

llie  Kt  P cannot  be  saved. 

28.  KKtxP  R— Ki 

29.  R X P ch  Resigns. 

Game  No.  43 


White  : Capablanca.  Black  : Bernstein. 

Queen’s  Gambit  Declined. 


1. 

2. 

3- 

4- 

5- 
6. 

7- 


P-Q4 

Kt— K B 3 
P— B4 
Kt— B3 
B— Kt  5 
P— K 3 

B-Q3 


P-Q4 
Kt— K B 3 
P— K 3 
Q Kt-Q  2 
B— K 2 
P— B3 
PxP 


Before  initiating  this  manoeuvre,  which  aims  at  the 
development  of  the  Queen’s  wing,  Black  should  castle,  as 
otherwise  the  King  is  exposed  to  dangerous  and  immediate 
attacks  in  the  centre. 


8.  B X B P P— Kt  4 

9.  B— Q3  P— QR3 

The  system  of  opening  chosen  by  Black  has  been  tried 
frequently  of  late.  It  seems  to  be  somewhat  artificial,  as  the 
Q B Pawn  takes  two  moves  to  get  to  his  fourth.  On  the  otlier 
hand  the  pawn  formation  at  Q R 3,  Q Kt  4,  and  Q B 4 
is  attained,  whilst  it  can  be  prevented  in  other  variations, 
e.g.  6. ..Castles  ; 7 B — Q 3,  P x P ; 8 B x P,  P — Q R 3 : 9 P — Q 
R4. 

10.  P— K 4 P— K 4 


Black's  only  plausible  move  here  seems  to  be  P — B 4,  and 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


259 

many  critics  have  remarked  that  after  ii  P — K 5,  PxP  ! ; 
12  Kt— K4  (if  PxKt,  PxKt)  Kt  X Kt;  13  B x Kt, 

R— Q Kt  I ; 14  B X B,  Q X B ; 15  Q x P,  Q— B 4 ; the 

game  would  have  been  even.  However,  this  is  not  the 
case,  for  on  the  15th  move  White  does  not  capture  the 
pawn  with  the  Q but  with  the  Kt  and  Black  has  no 
satisfactory  continuation.  If  he  had  castled  he  could  play 
15. ..B — Kt  2 which  now  is  not  available  because  of  : 16  Kt — 
B 6,  B X Kt ; 17  B x B,  with  an  overwhelming  advantage  in 
position  for  White.  White’s  refutation  of  the  text  move  is 
above  criticism. 

II.  PxP  Kt — Kt  5 12.  B — K B 4 B — B 4 

If  Q — B 2,  White  would  play  R — B i,  after  which  Black 
could  not  recapture  the  K P yet,  as  the  Q B P is  prise. 

13.. .K  Kt  X P ; 14  Kt  X Kt,  Kt  x Kt ; 15  Kt — Q 5, 

Q — Q 3 ; 16  B X Kt,  Q x B ; 19  R x P,  etc. 

13.  Castles  Q — B 2 

14.  R — B I P — B 3 

Again  Kt  x P is  not  feasible  on  account  of  the  loss  of  the 
QBP,  as  can  be  easily  seen. 

15.  B — Kt  3 PxP 

Black’s  game  cannot  be  saved.  If  15. ..Kt  (Kt  5)  X K P 
there  follows  16  Kt  x Kt,  Kt  x Kt ; 17  Kt — Q 5,  Q — Q 3 ; 
18  B X Kt,  P X B ; 19  R X B,  or  16. ..P  x Kt : 17  Q — R 5 ch, 
P— Kt  3,  18  Q— R 6. 

16.  P— Kt  4 ! 

Now  White  initiates  a brilliant  attack,  driving  it  home 
without  giving  Black  a moment’s  rest.  If  Black  takes  the 
pawn.  White  plays  Kt — Q 4,  with  many  threats,  e.g.  P — B 4 ; 
18  Kt— Q 5,  Q— Q 3 ; 19  Kt— K 6,  or  17... Kt  (Kt  5)— B 3 ; 
18  Kt — K 6,  etc. 

16 B — R 2 17.  B X Kt  P 

The  sacrifice  is  fairly  obvious,  as  White  obtains  three  pawns 
for  the  piece,  and  moreover  drives  the  King  into  the  field  of 
battle.  However,  this  does  not  detract  from  the  beauty  of 
the  game,  which  is  full  of  brilliant  phases. 

17 R P X B 

18.  Kt  X Kt  P Q — Q I 


26o  chess  strategy 

Or  Q — Kt  3 ; ig  Kt — Q 6 ch,  K — K 2 
followed  by  Q — Q 6. 


20  Kt — B 5 ch, 


ig.  Kt — Q 6 ch  K — B i 

20.  R X P Kt — Kt  3 

The  threat  was  : 21  Q — Q 5,  Kt — R 3 ; 22  Kt  x B,  R x Kt  ; 
23  R — Q 6,  etc.  20. ..Kt  (Q  2) — B 3 is  of  no  avail  because 
of  21  Q — Kt  3,  Kt — R 3;  22  KtxP,  or  21... Q — Q 2;  22 
K R — B I,  etc. 


21.  B — R 4 

22.  Kt  xB  ! 


Q-Q2 

QxR 


Not  RxKt  because  of  23  QxQ.  Now  Black  is  a whole 
Rook  ahead.  But  it  is  as  much  out  of  play  as  his  Queen’s 
side  pieces.  The  King  is  driven  into  a mating  net  by  the 
concentration  of  superior  White  forces,  and  only  escapes  by 
giving  up  the  extra  piece. 


23.  Q — Q 8 ch 

24.  B — K 7 ch 

25.  Kt — Q 6 ch 

26.  Kt — R 4 ch 


Q-Ki 
K— B 2 
K— Kt  3 
K— R4 


-B  5 ch ; 


If  K — R 3 there  follows  mate  in  three  by  27  Kt  (Q  6)- 
28  Kt — Kt  3 ch  ; 2g  B — Kt  5 mate. 

27.  KtxQ  RxQ 

28.  Kt  xP  ch  K — R 3 

2g.  Kt  (Kt  7) — B 5 ch  K — R 4 
30.  P — K R 3 ! 

This  threatens  31  P x Kt  ch,  K x P ; 32  P — B 3 ch,  followed 
by  P — Kt  3 or  Kt  4 mate.  If  Black  plays  30  Q R — K Kt  i. 
White  wins  as  follows ; 31 P x Ktch,  R X P ; 32  P — B 3,  Kt — B i 
ch  ; 33  K — R 2,  KtxB;  34  PxR  ch,  KxP;  35  KtxKt, 
K xKt ; 36  R — B 7.  If  30...Kt— R 3 ; 31  Kt — Kt  7 mate. 


30. 

31- 

.32. 

33- 

34- 

35- 


P X Kt  ch 
BxR 
P— Kt  3 
K— Kt  2 
P— R4 


Kt— B I 

KxP 

RxB 

R-Q7 
R— K7 
Kt— Kt  3 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES  261 


36. 

Kt — K 3 ch 

K— R4 

37- 

P-RS 

Kt-Q  2 

38. 

Kt  (R  4)-B  5 

Kt-B3 

39- 

P-Kt5 

B-Q5 

40. 

K-B3 

R— R 7 

41. 

P— R6 

B— R 2 

42. 

R— B I 

R— Kt  7 

43- 

P— Kt  ^ ch 

K— Kt  4 

44- 

R— By 

RxP  ch 

45- 

KxR 

KtxKt  Pch 

46. 

K-B3 

Resigns. 

Game  No.  44 

White  : Dus  Chotimirski.  Black  ; Vidmar. 
Queen’s  Pawn  Game. 


1.  P— Q 4 P— Q 4 

2.  Kt— K B 3 P— Q B 4 

3.  P — B 3 P — K 3 

4.  B — B 4 


We  have  seen  on  page  55  that  Black  can  hardly  de- 
velop his  Q B without  disadvantage.  White,  however,  has 
no  difficulty  in  doing  so,  as  his  Q P is  protected,  and  after 
Black’s  Q — Kt  3 he  has  only  to  look  after  his  Kt  P.  He  could 
play  Q — B i,  which  might  bring  the  Q into  effective  action 
on  the  diagonal  to  R 6. 

The  aim  of  the  text  move  is  the  early  occupation  of  K 5. 
But,  as  the  present  game  shows,  this  cannot  be  effected.  Black 
must  not  waste  time  with  Q — Kt  3,  but  play  B — Q 3 at  once. 


4 

5-  P— K 3 
6.  Q Kt — p 2 
7-  B-Kt  ; 

8.  Kt— K 5 

9.  PxB 


Kt-Q  B 3 
Kt— B 3 

B-Q3 

Castles 
BxKt  ! 
Kt-Q  2 


Now  White  has  no  means  of  maintaining  his  centre. 


262 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


\Vli ether  he  supports  the  pawn  with  Kt — B 3 or  P — K B 4, 
Black  forces  matters  with  P — B 3. 


Diag.  162. 


Now  that  the  idea  underlying  White’s  opening  strategy 
has  proved  impracticable,  he  has  difficulty  in  formulating  a 
plan.  Making  the  best  of  a bad  job,  he  abandons  his  K P 
in  exchange  for  Black’s  K R P.  But  Black  obtains  a powerful 
pawn  centre,  a telling  advantage. 


10.  B — Q 3 K Kt  X P 

11.  BxKt  KtxB 

12.  B xP  ch  K xB 

13.  Q — R 5 ch  K — Kt  I 

14.  QxKt  P— B 3 

15.  Q— R 5 Q— Kt  3 


Black  wishes  to  provoke  the  advance  of  the  Q Kt  P and 
Q B P in  order  to  obtain  a passed  pawn  (16  P — Q Kt  3,  P — K 4 ; 
17  Castles  K R,  Q — R 4 ; 18  P — Q B 4,  P — Q 5).  In  order  to 
avoid  this  continuation,  White  takes  his  chance  of  castling  on 
the  Queen’s  side.  This  turns  out  to  Black’s  advantage.  Indeed 
it  is  a foregone  conclusion.  In  the  ensuing  double  assault 
by  pawns.  Black  is  several  moves  ahead,  as  the  White 
pawns  concerned  in  the  attack  are  still  on  their  original 
squares. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES  263 

16.  Castles  Q R P — K 4 

17.  P— K Kt  4 P— Q 5 

18.  P — Q B 4 B — Q 2 

19.  P— Kt  5 PxKtP 

20.  Q xP  R xP 

21.  PxP  B PxP  I 


Finely  played.  Black  gives  up  his  K P in  order  to  get  his 
Q R into  play  with  the  gain  of  a move. 

22.  Q X P R — K I 

23-  Q— Kt  3 Q R— K 7 

24.  K R— K I 

K R — Kt  I would  also  be  of  no  avail  because  of  Q — K R 3, 
25  Q — Q 3,  Q — K B 3 threatening  B — B 4.  The  move  in  the 
text  puts  an  end  to  the  agony. 

24 RxKt  ! ! 

Resigns. 

For  after  25  R x R,  R X R : 26  K x R,  Q X P ch  ; 27  K — Q 3, 
B — B 4 ch  ; 28  R — K 4,  Q — B 6 ch  ; 29  K — K 2,  QxQ] 
Black  remains  with  an  extra  piece. 


Game  No.  45 

White  : Rubinstein.  Black  : Spielmann. 

Irregular  Opening. 

I.  P— Q 4 P— Q B 4 

With  this  move  Black  tries  to  avoid  well-trodden  paths  of 
tournament  practice.  White  can,  at  will,  lead  into  a peaceful 
Queen’s  Gambit  by  2 P — K 3 or  into  a Sicilian  Defence  by 
P — K 4.  It  is  more  usual,  however,  to  play  P — Q 5,  which 
blocks  up  the  Black  centre  to  some  extent. 

If  2 PxP,  Black  regains  his  pawn  after  P — K 3 without 
any  disadvantage. 

2-  P — Q 5 

3-  P-Q  B 4 


P-Q3 


264 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


Coupled  with  4 P — K 4,  this  move  is  of  doubtful  value,  as 
Black  gains  command  of  White’s  Q 4.  It  is  advisable  to  keep 
the  Q B P back,  thus  retaining  the  option  of  driving  off  a 
hostile  piece  from  Q 4 by  P — Q B 3.  Moreover,  the  Wliite 
K B is  hemmed  in  by  the  pawn  at  Q B 4. 

3 P— K Kt  3 

4.  P — K 4 B — Kt  2 

5.  B-Q  3 P-K  3 

The  development  of  the  K Kt  is  not  desirable  at  B 3,  where 
it  would  block  the  long  diagonal.  From  K 2,  however,  it 
commands  K B 4,  where  it  can  take  up  a strong  position  after 
the  exchange  of  pawns  in  the  centre,  or  else  it  can  support  the 
advance  of  the  K B P. 

6.  Kt— Q B 3 Kt— K 2 

7.  K Kt— K 2 

Kt — B 3 would  have  been  slightly  better,  because  the 
Black  Q Kt  might  play  to  his  K 4. 

7 PxP 

8.  KPxP  Kt— Q2 

9.  P— B 4 

This  move  weakens  the  King’s  position,  and  would  be 
justified  only  if  there  was  a possibility  of  opening  the  file  for 
the  Rook  by  P — B 5.  But  Black  has  too  strong  a hold  on  his 
K B 4.  The  text  move  aims  at  preventing  the  exchange  of 
White’s  K B through  Black’s  Kt — K 4.  It  would  have  been 
better  to  withdraw  the  B to  B 2. 

9 Kt— K B 3 

10.  Kt— Kt  5 P— K R 4 ! 

Now  White  cannot  enforce  P — B 5,  as  Black  can  attack 
the  Knight  by  P — R 5.  White  cannot  prevent  this  with 
P — K R 4,  as  the  Black  Knight  would  take  up  a commanding 
position  at  Kt  5.  Black’s  game  is  superior.  He  can  concen- 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


265 

trate  all  his  minor  pieces  on  the  King’s  wing,  while  White’s 
Q B is  ineffective  on  account  of  the  ill-considered  advance  of 
the  K B P. 


11.  Castles  P — R 5 

12.  KKt— K4  KtxKt 

13.  B xKt 

White  has  to  capture  with  the  B,  in  order  to  exchange  the 
Black  Knight  if  it  should  play  to  B 4.  After  13  Kt  x Kt, 
B — Q 5 ch  ; 14  K — R i,  Kt — B 4 ; White’s  Knight  would  not 
be  able  to  move  from  K 4 on  account  of  the  threat  : Kt — Kt  6 
ch.  Sooner  or  later,  Black  would  get  a deciding  advantage 
by  enforcing  the  exchange  of  White’s  Knight,  e.g.  15  Q — K i, 
Q — K 2 ; 16  R — Q Kt  i,  B — Q 2 ; 17  P — Q Kt  3,  Castles  Q R ; 
18  B — Kt  2,  Q X Kt ; 19  B x Q,  Kt — Kt  6 ch  ; 20  Q x Kt, 
P X Q ; 21  P — K R 3,  B X P ; 22  P x B,  R x P ch  ; 23  K — Kt  2, 
R — R 7 ch  ; 24  K X P,  R X B ; or  21  B x B,  R x P ch,  followed 
by  PxB  and  Q R — R i. 

13 B — Q 5 ch 

14.  K — R I Kt — B 4 

15 . B X Kt  B X B 

Wliite  is  helpless  against  the  two  powerful  Bishops. 


16.  R — K I ch 


K— B I 


266 


CHESS  STRATEGY 

Black  forfeits  his  chance  of  castling,  not  a great  loss  under 
the  circumstances.  In  any  case  his  K R is  needed  on  the 
Rook’s  file,  and  Black  would  only  have  castled  on  the  Queen’s 
side  if  at  all. 


17.  Q— B 3 

Here  P — K R 3 was  essential  in  order  to  prevent  the  further 
advance  of  the  K R P.  The  weakness  at  Kt  3 would  not  have 
been  so  serious  in  the  absence  of  a Black  Knight.  Now  Black 
forces  the  advance  of  White’s  K Kt  P,  and  the  Bishops  become 
immediately  effective. 

17.  .........  P— R6 

18.  P— K Kt  3 

not  P — K Kt  4 on  account  of  Q — R 5. 

18 Q— Q 2 

19.  B — Q 2 B — Kt  5 

20.  Q — B I 

If  Q — Q 3,  Black  plays  Q — B 4 and  White  cannot  exchange 
Queens  because  of  B — B 6 mate. 


20.  Q — B 4 

threatening  Q — B 7. 

21.  Q R— B I K— Kt  2 

22.  B — K 3 B — B 3 

Black  must  not  exchange  his  valuable  Bishop. 

23.  P— Kt  3 K R— K I 

24.  B— B 2 

There  is  no  answer  to  Black’s  threat  of  doubling  the  Rooks 
on  the  K file.  If  White  plays  Q — B 2,  Black’s  Queen  effects 
an  entry  at  Q 6,  after  which  he  would  double  his  Rooks,  and 
White’s  Bishop  cannot  be  defended.  After  the  text  move, 
Black  forces  the  exchange  of  his  two  Rooks  for  the  Queen. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


267 

Generally  speaking,  this  is  no  disadvantage,  but  in  conse- 
quence of  the  exposed  position  of  the  White  King,  it  means  a 
speedy  loss  for  Wliite. 


24 

B— B 6 ch 

25.  K— Kt  I 

B— Kt  7 

26.  RxR 

BxQ 

27.  RxR 

Q-Q6! 

If  now  R X B Black  plays  Q — B 6. 

28.  R— K 8 

In  order  to  play  R — K 3 if  Black  plays  B xKt, 

28 

Q-B6! 

29.  K X B 

Q— R 8 ch 

30.  B — Kt  I 

Q— Kt  7 ch 

31.  K— K I 

Q xB  ch 

32.  K— Q2 

Q xP  ch 

Resigns 

for  the  pawn  queens. 

Game  No.  46 

White  : G.  A.  Thomas. 

Black  : Ed.  Lasker. 

Irregular  Opening  (compare  Game  No.  45). 

1.  P-Q  4 

P-QB4 

2-  P— Q 5 

P-Q  3 

3.  P— Q B 4 

P— K Kt  3 

4.  Kt-Q  B 3 

B— Kt  2 

5-  B— Q 2 

This  is  not  necessary.  Black 

could  hardty  exchange  his  B 

for  the  Kt  ; the  weakness  at  his 

K B 3 and  K R 3 would  be- 

come  too  serious  a disadvantage. 

5 

P-K3 

6.  P— K 4 

PxP 

7.  KtxP  I 

268 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


In  view  of  the  fact  that  Black’s  position  after  B P or 
K P X P would  be  very  promising,  as  all  his  pieces  would  be 
easy  to  bring  into  play,  White  decides  upon  the  sacrifice  of  a 
pawn,  in  order  to  further  his  own  development. 

7 BxP 

8.  R— Kt  I B— Kt  2 

g.  Q — R 4 ch  Kt — B 3 

10.  K Kt— B 3 

Kt — Kt  6,  R — Kt  sq  ; ii  B — R 5 leads  to  nothing,  as  Black 
plays  12  Q K 2. 

10 P — K R 3 

If  Black  plays  K Kt — K 2 at  once,  his  position  becomes 
somewhat  cramped  after  ii  B — Kt  5,  Castles  ; 12  Kt — B 6 ch, 
K— R I ; 13  Q— Q I. 

11.  B — Q 3 Kt — K 2 

12.  Castles  Castles 

13.  Q— B 2 P— Kt  3 

This  allows  the  development  of  the  Q B. 

14.  B — B 3 Kt  X Kt 

15.  KPxKt  Kt — K4 


Diag,  164. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


269 

Kt — K 2 should  have  been  played  here  in  order  to  play 
B X B ; 17  Q X B,  B — Kt  5 with  Kt — B 4,  in  answer  to  16  Q — 
Kt  2.  Black  is  still  open  to  attack  in  consequence  of  his 
broken  King’s  side,  but  there  is  no  demonstrable  advantage 
for  Wliite.  The  text  move  is  a mistake,  and  gives  White 
chances  of  a decisive  attack. 

16.  Kt  X Kt  B X Kt 

17.  BxB  PxB 

18.  BxP!  Q— Ktq 

Of  course  not  PxB,  on  account  of  19  Q x P ch,  K — R i ; 
20  QxP  ch,  K — Kt  I ; 21  R — Kt  3,  etc.  18... P — B4  fails 
because  of  19  R — Kt  3. 

19.  B — K 4 P — B 4 

20.  P — B 4 ! ! 


This  elegant  continuation  decides  the  game.  If  PxP, 
Wdiite  simply  plays  21  B — Q 3,  and  Black  can  hardly  hope  to 
save  the  end-game,  as  his  pawns  are  broken  up.  If  the  Queen 
retreats,  however,  there  follows  : 21  P x P,  and  White  obtains 
two  passed  pawns  for  the  B and  has  the  superior  position. 


20. 

Q-Kt  2 

21. 

PxP 

PxB 

22. 

R xR  ch 

QxR 

23- 

R— K B I 

0— Kt  2 

24. 

QxP 

Q-Kt  5 

25- 

R— B 4 

0— Q 8 ch 

26. 

K— B 2 

Q— Q 5 ch 

27. 

QxQ 

PxO 

28. 

P— K 6 

B-R3 

29. 

RxP 

R — B I ch 

30  P- 

30. 

-Q  6. 

K-K3 

R-B3 

31- 

K— K 4 

R— B 7 

32. 

P-Q6 

R— K 7 ch 

He  might  play  K — Q 5,  after  which  B — Kt  2 ch  has  points. 
33.  K— Q3  Resigns. 


270 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


Game  No.  47 

Wliite  ; Tartakower.  Black  : Asztalos. 

Dutch  Opening. 

I.  P-K  B 4 P-Q  4 

It  has  been  tried  to  refute  White’s  non-developing  first 
move  by  a pawn  sacrifice  : I...P — K 4 ; which  leads  to  a rapid 
mobilisation  of  the  Black  forces  after  2 P x P,  P — Q 3 ; 3 P x P, 
B X P.  But  this  attack — called  the  From  Gambit — does  not 
seem  to  prevail  against  the  best  defence.  In  a match  game, 
Tartakower- Spielmann  (Vienna,  1913),  White  won  as  follows  ; 

4 Kt-K  B 3,  P-K  Kt  4 : 5 P-Q  4,  P-Kt  5 ; 6 Kt-K  5, 
Kt— Q B 3 ; 7 KtxKt,  PxKt ; 8 P— K Kt  3,  P— K R 4; 
9 B — Kt  2,  P — R 5 ; 10  Q — Q 3,  B — Q 2 ; ii  Kt — B 3,  R — Kt  i; 

12  Castles,  PxP;  13  PxP,  P — Q B 4 ; 14  B — B 4,  BxB; 
15  R X B,  Q — Kt  4 ; 16  Kt — K 4,  Q — R 3 ; 17  Kt  x P,  Kt — B 3 ; 
18  KtxB,  KtxKt ; 19  Q — K 4 ch,  K — Q i ; 20  RxB  P, 
R — K I ; 21  Q X P,  Q — K 6 ch  ; 22  K — B i.  Resigns. 

When  Black  plays  P — K B 4 in  answer  to  i P — Q 4 we 
have  the  Dutch  Defence.  After  i P — Q 4,  P — K B 4,  White 
can  also  sacrifice  a pawn  by  2 P — K 4,  and  thereby  obtain 
a far  more  favourable  position  than  Black  does  in  From’s 
gambit,  as  he  is  a move  to  the  good,  having  already  advanced 
his  Q P,  e.g.  2 P — K 4,  P x P ; 3 Kt — Q B 3,  Kt — K B 3 ; 
4 P — B 3 or  4 B — Kt  5 and  then  P — B 3.  If  Black  cap- 
tures the  K B P,  White  obtains  a powerful  attack.  A drastic 
example  is  found  in  the  following  little  game,  played  by  two 
students  in  an  academic  tournament  at  Petrograd : 4 P — B 3, 
PxP;  5 KtxP,  P-K  3 ; 6 B~K  Kt  5,  B-K  2 ; 7 B-Q  3, 
Castles  ; 8 Castles,  P — Q Kt  3 ; 9 Kt — K 5,  B — Kt  2 ; 10  B x 
Kt,  BxB;  II  BxP  ch,  KxB;  12  Q — R 5 ch,  K — Kt  i; 

13  Kt— Kt  6,  R— K I ; 14  Q— R 8 ch,  K— B 2 ; 15  Kt-K  5 
ch,  K — K 2 ; 16  Q X P ch  ! !,  B X Q ; 17  R — B 7 ch,  K — Q 3 ; 
18  Kt — Kt  5 ch,  K — Q 4 ; 19  P — B 4 ch,  K — K 5 ; 20  R — K i 
mate. 

Black’s  best  answer  is  to  play  P — Q 4 after  White’s  4 P — K B 3 
(5  B — ’Kt  5,  B — -B  4).  If  4 B — Kt  5,  it  is  not  yet  possible  to 
play  P — Q 4 because  of  the  threat : B x Kt,  Q — -R  5 ch,  and. 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES  271 

QxQ  P.  In  that  case  Black  must  first  play  P — Q B 3,  after 
which  White  again  obtains  a strong  attack  by  P — K B 3. 

Black  can  avoid  the  attacks  which  follow  after  i P — Q 4, 
P — K B 4 ; 2 P — K 4,  by  playing  P — K 3 on  his  first  move, 
and  then  lead  into  the  Dutch  defence  with  P — K B 4 on  his 
second  move.  He  must,  however,  reckon  with  having  to  play 
the  French  defence  which  White  can  bring  about  with  2 P — K 4. 


2.  P— K 3 

3.  Kt— K B 3 
I P-Q  Kt  3 
5-  B-Kt  5 


P— K3 
P-QB4 

Kt— 0 B 3 
Kt— B3 


Black  should  have  played  B — Q 2 here,  as  White  can  ex- 
change at  B 6,  leaving  Black  with  a doubled  pawn.  This  in 
itself  is  not  a drawback,  but  in  the  present  position  it  is  serious, 
as  Black  will  have  difficulty  in  finding  a place  for  his  Q B.  For 
there  is  no  prospect  of  enforcing  P — K 4,  as  White  commands 
that  square  in  sufficient  force. 


6.  B— Kt  2 

7.  Castles 

8.  BxQ  Kt 

9.  Kt— K5 

10.  P— Q3 


B— K2 
Castles 
PxB 
Q-B2 
P— OR4 


Black’s  attempt  of  capturing  his  K 4 by  playing  Kt — Q 2 
and  P — B 3,  White  would  cross  at  once  with  Q — Kt  4.  With 
the  text  move  Black  begins  operations  on  the  Q side,  which  is 
quite  correct,  as  White  has  the  upper  hand  on  the  other  wing. 

II.  Q — K 2 


Wlrite  should  have  prevented  the  further  advance  of  the 
Black  R P by  II  P — Q R 4.  This  would  have  been  sound 
policy  in  any  case,  as  the  R file  could  not  have  been  forced  open 
for  the  Black  Rooks. 


II P — R 5 

12.  Kt — O 2 P xP 

Premature.  The  capture  is  only  of  value  if  the  file  can  be 
held.  To  that  end  it  is  first  necessary  to  play  B — Kt  2 and  to 
occupy  the  R file  with  Rooks  and  Queen.  After  the  exchange 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


272 

of  Rooks,  Black  is  at  a disadvantage  for  the  end-game  because 
of  the  inefficiency  of  the  Q B. 


If  instead  of  the  text  move  Black  had  driven  off  the  Bishop 
to  B I with  P — R 6 (13  B — B 3 ?,  P — Q 5 ! ; 14  P x P,  Kt — Q 4) 
he  could  have  enforced  his  P — K 4,  but  in  the  long  run  White 
would  have  captured  the  Q R P,  and  remained  with  a passed 
pawn  on  the  R file,  a powerful  weapon  for  the  end-game,  e.g. 
12... P — R 6;  13  B — B I,  Kt — Q 2;  14  KtxKt,  BxKt; 
15  P — K 4,  P— K B 3 ; 16  P — B 4,  followed  by  Kt — Kt  i. 


13.  R P xP 

14.  RxR 

15.  P— K Kt  4 


RxR 
B— Kt  2 


The  Black  pieces  being  cut  off  from  the  K side.  White  is 
free  to  attack. 


15- 

16. 

17- 

18. 

19. 

20. 


R xR  ch 
P— Kt  5 
Q Kt-B  3 
BxKt 
P— B4 


R— R I 
BxR 
Kt— O 2 
KtxKt 
Q-R4 


in  order  to  prevent  the  release  of  the  B by  the  pawn  sacrifice 
P — B 5 and  P — B 4. 

20 B — Kt  2 

21.  K-B  2 K— B I 


ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES 


273 


22.  P — R 4 B — R 3 

23.  P — R 5 B — Kt  2 

24.  P — R 6 P — Kt  3 

By  advancing  his  R P Wliite  has  weakened  Black’s  K B 3, 
with  the  constant  threat  of  establishing  his  Kt  there  and  of 
capturing  the  R P. 

25.  K— B I 

This  move  is  superfluous  and  probably  dictated  by  time 
pressure.  The  proper  plan  is  : Q — Q Kt  2 with  the  threat  of 
B — B 7 or  Kt  8 and  Q — R 8 ch. 

25 Q— R 6 

26.  Q — Q Kt  2 

The  end-game  is  a clear  win  for  White.  He  plays  his  Kt 
to  K Kt  4,  threatening  to  reach  B 6 or  K 5.  The  effect  is  twofold. 


Black  must  keep  his  B at  K 2 and  his  K must  remain  near  the 
K B P.  White’s  King  marches  to  Q Kt  6 and  captures  the 
Q B pawns,  queening  his  Q Kt  P.  Black  cannot  prevent  the 
White  King  from  doing  this  by  B — Q i,  as  White,  by  attacking 
Black’s  Q B 4 with  his  B,  could  at  any  time  force  the  B back  to 
his  K 2.  The  remainder  of  the  game  needs  no  comment. 

26 QxQ 

27.  B X Q B— O 3 

28.  Kt— R 2 K— K I 

s 


274 


CHESS  STRATEGY 


29. 

Kt — Kt  4 

B— K 2 

30. 

B-K  5 

K-Q2 

31- 

K— K 2 

K— K I 

32. 

K— 0 2 

K— p 2 

33- 

K— B 2 

K— K I 

34- 

K— Kt  2 

K— 0 2 

35- 

K-R3 

K— K I 

36. 

K— R 4 

K-Q2 

37- 

B— Kt  8 

K— B I 

38. 

B— R 7 

K-Q2 

39- 

B— Kt  6 

P-Q5 

40. 

P— K 4 

K— K I 

41. 

P-K  5 

K-Q2 

42. 

Kt— B 2 

Resigns. 

because  there  follows  Kt — K 4 and  B x P. 


Game  No.  48 

White  : Blackburne.  Black  : Nienizowitsch. 

Irregular  Opening. 

1.  P— K 3 P— Q 3 

It  is  due  to  this  reply  of  Black’s  that  the  opening  is  irregu- 
lar. For  had  he  played  P — Q 4 a peaceful  Q P game  would 
have  resulted,  or  after  White’s  2 P — K B 4 a Dutch  opening. 

2.  P— K B 4 P— K 4 

3.  PxP  PxP 

Black  has  the  superior  position  ; he  has  a pawn  in  the 
centre  and  his  pieces  are  more  free. 

4.  Kt  -Q  B 3 B— Q 3 

As  was  seen  on  a former  occasion,  it  is  a shade  better  to 
develop  the  Knights  before  the  Bishops,  as  the  choice  of  moves 
for  the  latter  is  less  limited.  The  alternative  might  have  been 
5 Kt — B 3,  B — K Kt  5 ; 6 B — K 2,  Kt — B 3. 

5.  P-K  4 

Now  White  has  also  a pawn  in  the  centre,  but  he  is  a move 
behind  in  his  development. 


ILLUSTRATIVE 

5 

6.  Kt— B 3 
7-  P— Q 3 
8.  B— K 3 
9-  Q— Q 2 

10.  B — K 2 

11.  Castles  K R 

12.  Kt — Q I 

13.  P— B3 


GAMES  275 

B— K 3 
P— K P>  3 
Kt— K 2 
P-QB4 
Q Kt-B  3 
Kt-Q  5 

Castles 
K Kt— B 3 


Now  Black  has  gained  an  advantage  from  the  command 
of  his  Q 5.  The  advance  of  White’s  Q B P,  which  was  necessi- 
tated by  the  dominating  position  of  the  Black  Knight,  has 
left  White  with  a “ backward  ” pawn  at  Q 3. 

13 Kt  xB  ch 

14.  Q X Kt  R — K I 


If  now  a general  exchange  takes  place  after  P — Q 4,  the 
K P is  lost  through  B — Q 4. 

15.  Kt— R 4 

Wliite’s  counter  attack  on  the  King’s  side  becomes  threat- 
ening, and  Black  must  continue  his  operations  on  the  Queen’s 
wing  with  the  greatest  care,  as  he  may  be  called  upon  at  any 
time  to  concentrate  his  pieces  for  the  defence  of  the  King’s 
wing. 

15 B — K B I 

16.  Kt — B 5 K — R I 

17.  P— K Kt  4 Q— Q 2 

18.  Kt— B 2 P— Q R 4 

Black  wishes  to  open  up  files  on  the  Queen’s  side. 

19.  P — Q R 3 


Freeing  the  Q R. 


19 

20.  Q R — Q I 

21.  R — Q 2 

22.  R P xP 

23.  P — B 4 

24-  Q— B 3 


P— Q Kt  4 
Q R— Kt  I 
P— Kt  5 
R PxP 
R— R 1 
R— R 7 


Before  trying  to  push  home  his  advantage  on  the  Queen’s 
side,  which  is  made  possible  by  the  weakness  of  Wdiite’s  Q P, 


276  CHESS  STRATEGY 

Black  should  look  after  his  King’s  side,  where  White  has  col- 
lected an  alarming  array  of  forces.  After  the  text  move  the 
Rook  is  quite  out  of  play. 

25.  P — Kt  5 P — Kt  3 ? 


Diag.  167. 


Black  should  simply  play  P x P with  the  following  continua- 
tion : 26  BxP,  Kt — Q 5 ; 27  KtxKt,  QxKt ; 28  B — K 3, 
Q — Q 3.  After  the  move  in  the  text,  White’s  attack  is  over- 
whelming. 

26.  Kt — Kt  4 ! 

White  obtains  a Rook  and  two  pawns  for  his  two  Knights  ; 
this  is  in  itself  an  equivalent  of  material.  In  the  present  in- 
stance the  exchange  is  of  decisive  advantage  for  White,  as 
Black  must  lose  several  moves  to  bring  up  his  Rook  for  the 
defence  of  his  unguarded  King. 

26 PxKt 

27.  Kt  xB  P Kt — Q 5 

If  P xP,  White  wins  by  28  Q — R 5,  Q — B 2 ; 29  P — Kt  6, 
Q X P ch  ; 30  Q X Q and  Kt  x R. 


28.  Q — B 2 

Q-B3 

29.  Kt  X R 

QxKt 

30.  B X Kt 

K PxB 

31.  PxP 

B-Q2 

32.  R — K I 

0— B 2 

33-  Q— R 4 ! 

R— R I 

ILLUSTRATIVE  GAMES  277 

Not  BxP  because  of  34  R — K B 2,  followed  by  K R — 
K B sq. 

34.  R— KB2  B— B3 

35-  Q— Kt  4 

The  threat  is  to  open  the  Rook’s  file  by  P — Kt  6 with  an 
attack  on  the  King  by  the  Rooks. 

35 R — K I 

36.  RxR  QxR 

BxR  m order  to  play  Q — R 4 might  be  better.  With 
the  Queens  off  the  board,  Black  has  winning  chances  on 
account  of  his  two  Bishops.  But  then  White  might  evade  the 
exchange  and  proceed  to  seize  the  King’s  file  with  the  Rook 
after  37  Q— B 4. 

37.  R— K 2 Q—Q  2 

38.  R— K 6 B— R I 

in  order  to  play  Q — Q Kt  2 or  R 2. 

39.  P — Kt  6 ! P xP 

If  0 — Q Kt  2,  40  R — K 8 !,  ii  Q — R 2,  40  Q — R 4.  White 
wins  in  either  case. 

40.  R X P Q — K R 2 

41.  Q— Kt  3 

Threatens  Q — K 5 ch. 

41 Q— R 4 

42.  R — Kt  4!  Resigns. 


TABLE  OF  OPENINGS 


( 278  ) 


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274 


INDEX 


Alapin,  S.,  205,  215 
Aljechin,  A.,  164,  174,  196,  255 
Amateurs,  154 
Asztalos,  Dr.,  270 
Atkins,  H.  E.,  204 

Backward  pawns,  35,  112 

Barasz,  227 

Barry,  204 

Bauer,  255 

Berger,  J.,  180 

Berlin,  i 80 

Bernstein,  Dr.,  39,  258 
Bird,  H.  E.,  105 

Blackburne,  J.  H.,  98,  102,  147,  274 

Blanco,  209 

Breslau  Variation,  175 

Burn,  A.,  1 17,  126 

Capablanca,  T.  R,  42,  134,  164,  182, 
184,  209,  236,  241,  249,  255,  258 
Caro-Kann,  43,  50,  229,  232 
Centre,  27 

Centre  Counter,  43,  225,  227 
Centre  Gambit,  34 
Charousek,  R.,  108 
Cohn,  E.,  120,  234 
Cole,  194 

Danish  Gambit,  33 

Distant  Opposition,  80,  85,  100 

Distant  passed  pawn,  77,  99 

Doubled  pawns,  32,  115 

Dus  Chotimirski,  261 

Dutch  Defence,  61 

Dutch  Opening,  270 

Elementary,  i 
Elementary  combinations.  9 
Elementary  end-games,  64 
End-game,  63 

End-games  from  master-play,  97 
Englund,  F.,  193 
Esser,  Dr.,  200 

Falkbeer  Counter  Gambit,  35,  129 
Fixing  an  objective,  1 1 3 
Forced  move,  45,  87,  245 
Forgacz,  106,  198,  234. 

Four  Knights’  Game,  188,  193 


French  Defence,  44,  198,  200,  204, 
206,  209,  21 1 
From’s  Gambit,  270 

Gaining  a move,  67 
Giuoco  Piano,  134,  135,  138,  141 
Gregory,  i 36 
Griffith,  R.  C.,  x,  138 
Gunsberg,  J.,  141,  177 
Gunston,  W.  H.,  138 

Hart,  J.,  x,  3 
Heinrichsen,  108 
Howell,  C.  S.,  I 35 

Irregular  Openings,  62,  263,  267, 
270,  274 

Isolated  pawns,  82 

Janowski,  D.,  105,  159,  175,  188, 
223 

John,  223 

King’s  Bishop’s  Opening,  34 
King’s  Gambit,  30,  126 
King’s  Pawn  Games,  29,  126-233 
Knight’s  move.  3 

Lasker,  Ed.,  84, 100,120,123, 164,182, 
188, 193, 194,  196,  225,  241, 250,  267 
Lasker.  Dr.  Em..  39.  42,  147.  171,  175. 

184.  206.  224.  229.  236,  254 
Lazard.  Fred.,  123 
Leonhardt,  S.  P.,  87,  129 
Losing  a move,  2 1 

MacCutcheon,  207 
Manoeuvring  of  pieces,  1 19 
Maroczy,  G.,  180 

Marshall,  F.  J.,  117,  129,  144,  150, 
236 

Mason,  J.,  141 

Max  Lange  Attack,  144,  155 
Middle  Game,  109 
Mieses,  J.,  225,  227 
Mitchell,  135 
Mobility,  1 8 
Moll,  K.,  84.  88 
Mciller  Attack,  135 
Morphy,  P.,  23 


361 


282 


INDEX 


Niemzowitsch,  a.,  51,174,211.229, 
252 

Notation,  5 

Objective,  hi 

Opening,  the,  20 

Open  files  and  diagonals,  121 

Opposition,  70 

Opposition  (Distant),  80,  85,  100 

Paui-sen,  L.,  218 
Pawn  endings,  70 
Pawn  play,  26 
Pawn  skeleton,  26,  1 1 1 
Pillsbury,  H.  N.,  156 
Pin,  12,  16,  113 
Post,  87,  88 
Prokes,  132 

Queen’s  Counter  Gambit,  60 
Queen’s  Gambit,  54.  234 
Queen’s  Pawn  Games,  52,  234-267 

Reti,  232 
Riga,  180 

Riga  Variation,  i 59,  1 80 
Rio  de  Janeiro  Variation,  40 
Rotlewi,  100,  241,  246 
Rubinstein,  A.  K.,  50,  163,  215,  242, 
246.  249,  263 
Ruy  Lopez,  36,  159-188 


Salwe,  1 50 
V.  Scheve,  1 16 

Schlechter,  C.,  102,  159,  167,  171,  224 
Scotch  Gambit,  34 
Scotch  Game,  34.  147 
Shattered  pawn  position,  1 1 5 
Sicilian  Defence,  52,215,21 8,  220,  223 
Simple  calculation,  10,  13 
Spislmann,  R.,  132,  170,  218,  220, 
263, 270 
Steiner,  106 
Steinitz,  \V.,  i 56 
Stonewall,  58 

Tarrasch,  Dr.  S.,  42,  134,  144,  170, 
182,  206,  21 1,  220,  252 
Tartakower,  Dr,,  126,  198,  232,  270 
Teichmann,  R.,  98,  116,  154,  163, 
164,  167,  218,  241,  242 
Thomas,  G.  A.,  267 
Two  Knights’  Defence,  150,  154 
Three  Knights’  Defence,  196 

Value  of  pieces,  ii 
Vidmar,  Dr.,  261 
Vienna  Game,  35,  132 

Weaknesses  in  a pawn  position,  83, 
103,  109,  1 14,  1 1 7 
White,  J.  H.,  X 

Yates,  F.  D.,  177,  200 


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in  Chess 

By  E.  A.  ZNOSKO-BOROVSKY 

Demy  8vo.  los.  6d.  net. 

“The  celebrated  Russian  Master,  whose  pioneering  courage,  subtlety, 
accuracy,  and  unflagging  industry  are  all  exemplified  in  his  treatment 
of  ‘The  Middle  Game  in  Chess’  has,  in  writing  this  book,  laid  all 
players  under  great  obligation.”  Saturday  Review. 


LONDON  : G.  BELL  & SONS,  LTD. 


Mate  in 
Two  Moves 

A TREATISE  ON  THE 
TWO- MOVE  CHESS  PROBLEM 

By  BRIAN  HARLEY 

Chess  Editor  of  the  Observer 
Croivn  8vo.  About  5s.  net. 

CHESS  problems  are  the  cream  of  chess,  and  here  is  a 
veritable  Devonshire  feast  of  them  which  will  appeal 
to  players  of  whatever  skill  and  experience,  and  universally 
to  problem  solvers  and  particularly  to  composers.  The  Two- 
move  is  the  most  popular  type  of  problem  and  the  examples 
here  range  from  really  antique  to  the  most  recent  result  of 
modern  thought. 

The  author  is  well-known  as  chess  editor  of  the  Observer,  and  so 
is  in  an  unrivalled  position  to  store  up  the  gems  of  the  problem 
world.  After  a general  Introduction  to  the  principles  problem  solving 
and  definitions  of  the  terms  used,  nearly  80  problems  are  illustrated, 
analvsed  and  explained. 

Modern  Ideas  in  Chess 

By  RICHARD  RETI 

Translated  by  John  H.-\rt.  7s.  6d.  net. 

“A  delightful  treatise  on  the  modern  evolution  of  master-chess.  . . . 
A most  entrancing  book.”  Morning  Post. 


LONDON:  G.  BELL  & SONS,  LTD. 


The  Elements  of  Chess 

By  J.  DU  MONT 

Demy  8yo.  Fully  Illustrated.  7s.  bd.  net. 

“The  best  English  work  011  the  game  since  Mason’s  classic.  . . . 
Full  of  new  points  of  view  to  meet  beginners’  difficulties,  and  expressed 
in  the  clearest  language.’’  Observer. 

Staunton’s  Chess-Players’ 
Handbook 

Edited  by  E.  H.  BERMINGHAM 

Crown  Svo.  js.  6d.  net 

A new,  revised  edition,  printed  in  modern  notation,  with  the 
addition  of  further  Illustrative  Games,  a few  Openings  unnoticed 
by  Staunton,  Sixty  Modern  Games,  including  a selection  from  the 
International  Tournament  at  St.  Petersburg,  and  the  introduction 
■of  many  games  from  the  “ Chess  Praxis.” 

“Should  find  a place  on  the  shelves  of  every  chess-player.”  Queen. 

“The  handbook  has  been  kept  well  abreast  of  its  established  reputa- 
tion as  the  best  English  book  on  chess  and  a skilful  instructor  in  sound 
modern  play.”  Scotsman. 


Chess 

A HANDBOOK  FOR  CHESS-PLAYERS 

By  R.  E.  GREEN 

formerly  Editor  of  the  “ British  Chess  Magazine  ” 
Small  post  Svo.  is.  6d.  net. 


ME.SSRS.  BELL  will  he  very  pleased  to  keep  chess-players  informed 
from  time  to  time  of  their  new  publications  on  chess,  if  they  will  kindly 
forward  their  names  and  addresses. 


LONDON:  G.  BELL  & SONS,  LTD. 

York  House,  Portugal  Street,  W.C.2 


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